Frequently Asked Questions

Too Good To Waste

Cheaper, greener solvent. Everything you need to know before you talk to us.

Recycling your solvent shouldn’t add to your workload. It should take work off your plate. The questions below are the ones manufacturers ask us most often, grouped so you can jump straight to what matters for your role and your facility. If you don’t see your question, contact our team, and we’ll answer it directly.

1. CleanPlanet & the Service365 Model

What does CleanPlanet Chemical do?

CleanPlanet recovers and reuses your solvent right at your facility through our Service365 program, so you buy far less virgin solvent and ship far less hazardous waste. Instead of buying solvent, using it once, and paying again to haul it away, you get lower total solvent costs, less hazardous waste to manage, and a cleaner, more sustainable operation, all without owning or maintaining recycling equipment yourself. Solvent recycling is all we do, and we’ve built the most advanced technology available to do it.

Service365 is our recycling-as-a-service model, designed to make solvent recycling an invisible part of your facility. We provide the recycler, install and commission it, train your team, and handle all maintenance, repair, and monitoring for the life of the agreement. You simply run your process. We supply you with clean, virgin-equivalent recycled solvent, and you pay a fixed price per gallon (or pound) for the recovered solvent the system produces, subject only to a monthly minimum that is set well below your target volume. There is no capital purchase, no maintenance contract, and no surprise repair bill.

No. With Service365 there is zero capital cost. We own the equipment and remain fully accountable for its performance, maintenance, and optimization. That is a deliberate choice on our part. Because our revenue depends on the recycler producing clean solvent day after day, our interests are aligned with yours: if the machine isn’t producing, we aren’t getting paid, so we have every reason to keep it running at peak performance. Solvent recycling shifts from a depreciating asset on your books to a predictable, usage-based operating cost.

No, we operate exclusively through Service365. We’ve found that owning the equipment ourselves is the only way to guarantee the performance, uptime, and continuous optimization our customers expect. It keeps your capital free, removes all maintenance and repair risk from your shoulders, and means our engineers are invested in your results for the long haul rather than walking away after a sale.

Most customers save between 20% and 60% per year, depending on their solvent volume, the value of the solvent they’re using, and what they currently pay to dispose of their waste. Savings come from two directions at once: you buy far less expensive virgin solvent, and you ship and dispose of far less hazardous waste. To see what that looks like for your facility, our team can run the numbers with you using our savings calculator.

You pay a fixed, predictable price per gallon (or pound) for the virgin-equivalent solvent the system actually recovers, with a monthly minimum that is set well below your target volume. There is no equipment cost, no installation charge, and no maintenance fee. All of that is built into the per-gallon price. Because you pay for clean solvent produced, your costs scale naturally with your usage, and the commercial model stays aligned with the value you receive. Your per-gallon price also depends on the contract term you choose: the longer the term, the lower the price. Final, project-specific pricing is developed during qualification once we understand your stream and volume.

Agreements are available month to month or on 3, 5, or 7 year terms. The longer the term, the lower your per-gallon price. Every agreement includes a monthly minimum, which we set well below your target volume so it doesn’t constrain normal operation. Before any long-term agreement begins, you’ll have already proven the system on your own stream through the pilot and extended evaluation, so you commit with full knowledge of how it performs in your facility.

That is exactly the kind of problem Service365 is built to handle. If your production increases or your solvent usage shifts, we’ll adjust the system, update the software, or swap in a larger unit to match your new volume, at no capital cost to you. You’re never locked into a unit you’ve outgrown, and you’ll never have to make a new capital decision just because your business is doing well.

On-site recycling is where we deliver the most value, but it isn’t the only option. Depending on your stream, location, and volume, we can also support off-site and partner-facility recycling models. The best approach depends on your specifics, and we’ll help you find the right fit during the qualification conversation.

We currently operate across North America and are in the process of expanding into Europe. If your facility is outside our current service area, contact us anyway. We’re growing, and we can let you know when service will be available in your region.

2. Getting Started & Qualifying Your Stream

How do I get started?

It starts with a short conversation and a paper review, with no commitment required. Tell us about the process generating your solvent, your monthly volume, and what you currently spend on solvent and disposal, and share the SDS documents for your solvents and contaminants. From there we determine whether your stream is a strong technical candidate, and if it looks promising, we move to a representative sample test to confirm exactly what we can achieve for you.

We typically work with facilities generating at least 1,000 gallons of wash solvent per month, as that is where the economics become compelling. That said, volume is only one factor. If you’re close to that threshold or unsure, reach out anyway and we’ll help you assess whether the numbers work for your situation.

The strongest candidates are petroleum-based solvent streams with less than 20% solids and less than 5% water, generating at least 1,000 gallons per month, where the recovered solvent has a clear path back into your process. In practice, that often means coating, printing, press wash, parts cleaning, and similar manufacturing streams with known chemistry and repeatable volumes. We confirm fit through a paper review and, where needed, a lab sample test, so you get a clear answer before anything is installed.

No, and we’ll tell you honestly if yours isn’t. Streams can be ruled out by incompatible contaminants, excessive solids, reactive resin systems, unknown chemistry, or reuse requirements we can’t reliably meet. Our qualification process is built to identify fit early, so you can make a confident decision quickly rather than discovering problems after installation.

Because the chemistry matters, and a solvent can’t be responsibly qualified by name alone. The SDS documents, contaminant information, and a physical sample let us confirm whether your stream is a good technical candidate, estimate the yield you can expect, verify that the recovered solvent will meet your reuse needs, and identify any precautions required for safe operation. It is how we make sure the solution is right for you before either of us commits.

Full transparency, in real time. Through our MyCleanPlanet platform you’ll see exactly how much solvent you’re recovering, how much waste you’re reducing, and how your unit is performing on every cycle, along with audit-ready sustainability metrics. You’ll never be in the dark about what your recycler is doing or the value it is delivering.

Once your stream is qualified, the typical lead time from agreement to a running system is about 8 weeks. That includes equipment delivery, a one to three day installation, and roughly a week of operator training. In practice, the biggest factor in the timeline is usually how quickly you can provide the SDS documents, sample, stream details, utility confirmations, and site approvals we need to move forward.

3. Making It Easy: The Pilot & Extended Evaluation

Why do you offer a pilot and an extended evaluation?

Because you shouldn’t have to commit to a long-term agreement on faith. The pilot and extended evaluation are a core part of our value proposition, and they allow you to:

  • Assess the viability of the solvent recycling solution in your specific environment before committing to long-term implementation.
  • Verify the technical and economic fit through real-world operation on your actual solvent stream.
  • Work with CleanPlanet to identify the right unit placement and operational alignment during the evaluation.

By the time you sign a long-term agreement, there is nothing left to take on faith. You’ve already seen the system perform in your own facility.

Every customer starts with a no-obligation 3 week pilot. We install a unit at your facility and run it on your own solvent stream, so the results you see are your results, not a lab demonstration. If you decide during the pilot to return the unit, there is no cost to you.

After a successful pilot, the program moves into a 3 month extended evaluation. This is where the solution proves itself under everyday conditions: you confirm yield, solvent quality, and economics over a sustained period, and we work with you to fine-tune unit placement, operating routines, and integration with your process. During the extended evaluation you can return the unit at any time. You pay only for the solvent processed, with no further costs.

Once you’ve seen the system perform in your facility, the program converts to a long-term Service365 agreement on the term you choose: month to month, or 3, 5, or 7 years. The longer the term, the lower your per-gallon price.

Yes. We would be happy to organize a visit to a current customer so you can see a unit running in a real production environment and talk directly with the people who operate it. Ask your CleanPlanet contact and we’ll arrange it.

4. The Technology & Solvent Quality

How is your technology different from a traditional solvent recycler?

Most solvent recyclers are based on 30-year-old pot-still designs: labor-intensive, low-yield, and dependent on constant manual oversight. Our PrecisionDistillation™ technology replaces all of that with continuous, automated distillation guided by 40+ integrated sensors and proprietary AI algorithms. The system monitors and adjusts in real time, runs automated non-sparking scraper blades to keep surfaces clean, and recovers significantly more solvent with virtually no day-to-day attention from your team. Solvent recycling is our only business, which is why we invest in R&D that other equipment makers simply won’t.

Crystal-clear, virgin-equivalent solvent. Our AlwaysClean colorimeter technology monitors the recovered solvent in real time, preventing the contamination and discoloration that plague older recyclers. The quality is good enough that customers reuse it directly in demanding processes. One packaging customer blends 20% of their reclaimed solvent back into their virgin stream with no effect on print quality. That said, “good enough” is always defined by your application, and we tune the system to meet your actual reuse requirement rather than a generic spec.

The system is always watching itself. With 40+ sensors and our colorimeter technology checking output continuously, the unit catches any drift before it ever reaches your recovered solvent. Combined with 24/7 remote monitoring by our engineers, that means quality is maintained automatically, cycle after cycle, without anyone on your team having to babysit the machine.

MyCleanPlanet is our online data and monitoring platform, and it is where solvent recycling stops being a black box. It continuously streams diagnostic data from your unit to our engineers, enabling 24/7 remote monitoring, predictive maintenance, and real-time performance reporting. You get clear visibility into solvent recovered, waste reduced, and greenhouse gas emissions avoided. We get the early warning we need to keep your unit running before small issues become real problems.

Yes, separating blended and multi-component solvent streams is possible. What is achievable depends on the specific chemistry involved, which is exactly what our paper review and sample testing are designed to determine. Tell us what is in your stream and we’ll tell you what we can recover.

For most petroleum-based streams we target a feed with less than 5% water, and our technology handles that well. Removing larger volumes of water and recovering aqueous-based solvents is an active area of our R&D, and our capabilities continue to expand. If water content is a concern in your stream, raise it during qualification and we’ll let you know what is possible today.

Yes. Color is one of the things our AlwaysClean colorimeter technology is specifically designed to control, monitoring the recovered solvent in real time to deliver clear, virgin-like output. The degree of color removal achievable for your particular stream is confirmed during sample testing.

As a general guide, our strongest results come from streams with less than 20% solids and less than 5% water. The system is engineered to recover clean solvent and concentrate the remaining solids into a smaller volume of still bottoms. Your exact loading limits are confirmed through the paper review and sample test, so you’ll know precisely what to expect before installation.

5. Installation & Site Requirements

What does installation involve?

We handle the heavy lifting. Once your stream is qualified and your site is ready, our technicians deliver, install, and commission the unit, typically a one to three day process, followed by about a week of training for your operators. Your part is preparing the site: confirming utilities, designating handling areas, and making sure your team and feed material are ready when our technician arrives. A smooth installation comes down to the site being prepared and the streams being clearly identified up front, and we’ll guide you through exactly what that takes.

Requirements vary by unit model (such as the AC150, AC350, and AC600), but most installations need 480V 3-phase electricity, compressed air, and chilled water, with a water supply for certain safety-related packages in some cases. We provide a detailed installation prep document covering every facility requirement, including safety standards like Class I, Division 1 compliance, so there are no surprises on install day.

Not a problem. If your facility doesn’t have the necessary compressors or chillers, or your existing utilities aren’t adequate, we can provide them as part of the installation. Any associated cost is simply built into your price per gallon, so your upfront investment stays at zero.

Footprint depends on the unit, and we’ll confirm the exact space during planning. Before our technician arrives, you’ll typically need to have ready: the final install location, confirmed utility connections, designated areas for feed solvent, recovered solvent, and residuals, your approved streams clearly labeled and segregated, trained primary and backup operators, site readiness documentation, and enough feed material on hand for commissioning and optimization. We provide a clear checklist so nothing is left to guesswork.

It is designed to be operationally simple, but it isn’t a drop-in consumer appliance, and treating implementation as a joint project is what makes it go smoothly. We own installation, commissioning, training, and optimization. You prepare the site, confirm utilities, and support safe materials handling. Get those basics in place and the system slots into your operation with minimal disruption.

6. Daily Operation & Support

How much of my staff’s time does this take?

About fifteen minutes a day for most customers, covering routine handling and observation. There are no maintenance tasks, no repairs, and no troubleshooting for your team to worry about: our technicians handle all of that. As one customer put it, the stills “require limited employee interaction and produce a great product.” The whole point of Service365 is to give you the benefits of recycling without adding to anyone’s workload. See customer testimonials at the bottom of our website landing page.

Your operators handle simple routine tasks: feeding the system, observing the process, and following standard procedures. Everything else is on us. CleanPlanet manages all maintenance and repairs proactively, using real-time data from your unit. You’ll never get a repair invoice or have to schedule a service visit. We see issues coming through 24/7 monitoring and handle them before they affect you.

Training is built into every installation. We train your operators on safe operation, stream handling, routine procedures, and changeovers specific to your site and equipment, and we ask you to designate both a primary and a backup operator so knowledge is never concentrated in one person. Turnover is a reality in manufacturing, so our model is built around repeatable training and clear documentation. When staff change, we re-train as needed to keep your operation running without missing a beat.

You’re never left to solve it alone. Our 24/7 remote monitoring means we usually detect a developing issue before it ever causes downtime, and our team responds and services the unit under your Service365 agreement. And because we don’t get paid when the machine isn’t producing solvent, keeping your unit up and running is squarely in our interest, not just yours.

If your operation pauses or your unit is idle for a stretch, the Service365 model flexes with you. You pay for recovered solvent produced, so your costs track your actual usage above the agreed monthly minimum, which is set well below your target volume. For planned shutdowns or extended changes, just talk to your CleanPlanet team and we’ll plan around your schedule.

Yes. Response times, on-site support expectations, spare-parts planning, maintenance cadence, and reporting can all be defined contractually in a formal service agreement, scaled to your application and the criticality of your operation. If you have specific uptime or response requirements, we’ll structure the agreement to meet them.

Comprehensive, ongoing support for the life of the agreement: 24/7 remote monitoring through MyCleanPlanet, all maintenance and repairs, performance reporting, and continuous optimization. Our engineers actively look for ways to improve your yield based on real-time data, so your system doesn’t just keep running, it keeps getting better. Customers consistently point to our response times and customer service as a reason they stay with us.

7. Waste, Safety & Compliance

What happens to the waste, or "still bottoms"?

Our system typically recovers 80% or more of your solvent for reuse, which dramatically shrinks the volume of hazardous waste you’re left to deal with. What remains, the “still bottoms,” a normal byproduct of distillation, is a much smaller quantity to store, ship, and dispose of. That means lower disposal costs and reduced liability for you. The remaining material still needs to be handled responsibly, but there is far less of it than before.

Your overall disposal costs should go down, not up, because you’re sending out far less material. We help you plan for responsible handling of the reduced still-bottom volume as part of implementation. The net effect is less waste, lower disposal spend, and less liability on your books.

It is a fair question, and the answer is usually the opposite of what people expect. Shipping hazardous waste off-site carries cradle-to-grave liability and the real risks of transportation spills, missed pickups, and everything that can go wrong in transit. Recycling on-site eliminates most of that hauling entirely. And our units are engineered with redundant safety systems: dual thermocouples, dual pressure transducers, and an independent watchdog processor that can cut power to the heater regardless of the software state. On-site recycling done right is the safer choice.

Safety is engineered into every unit, not bolted on. Our recyclers include built-in secondary containment, leak detection, emissions containment, and temperature controls, backed by 40+ internal sensors and redundant systems like dual thermocouples and dual pressure transducers. An independent watchdog processor can interrupt power to the heater regardless of software state, and automated scraper blades are non-sparking by design. With 24/7 monitoring, we spot potential issues long before they become real problems, keeping your facility and your people safe.

Our systems are rigorously tested for industrial safety. They are certified to UL standards (UL 2208, 1203, 913, 467, and 580A) and designed to comply with NFPA 70 (the National Electrical Code) and NFPA 496, making them suitable for use in Class I, Division 1, Groups C & D environments. Full certification details are provided as part of installation planning.

Emissions are de minimis. Our VMS Vapor Management System is engineered to limit vapor loss and safely manage vapors, including during still-bottom removal, delivering a clean, low-odor environment for your operators.

Recycling solvent on-site delivers measurable environmental wins: it cuts your hazardous waste volume (typically mitigating 80% or more of hazardous solvent waste) and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, typically saving around 20 lbs of CO2e per gallon recycled by avoiding both virgin solvent production and waste transport. Just as importantly, MyCleanPlanet gives you audit-ready data on waste mitigated, gallons recovered, and emissions avoided, formatted to support Scope 3 reporting and compliance with frameworks like the EU’s CSRD and California’s SB 253 and SB 261. Sustainability becomes something you can prove, not just claim.

You’ll be responsible for the things only your site can own: maintaining the facility and utilities, labeling and segregating approved materials, supporting operator participation, and meeting your own environmental, health, and safety requirements. We handle stream qualification, site-readiness review, documented procedures, and operator training to support safe, compliant operation. Successful recycling is a partnership, and we each do our part.

Ready to find out if it’s a fit?

The best first step is a quick review. Share your SDS documents, estimated volumes, and stream details, and our team will determine whether your stream is a strong candidate for paper review, sample testing, and a tailored proposal. There is no capital cost and no obligation, just a clear answer about how much you could save.

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