The objective of the present engineering waste minimization study for printed circuit board manufacture was to examine several different waste separation and recycling processes to assess the feasibility of achieving significant minimization in the usage of water and the generation of wastewater and hazardous wastes. Mass balances are applied to each unit operation, i.e., process bath, rinse system, and separation unit, to determine the effects of drag-out control, recycle ratio, multi-stage rinse, and rinse water flow rate on the operations of several alternative processes. These and other tactics for reducing waste and improving efficiency are quantitatively evaluated.