U1S1-5 - Introduction to Cleaner Production

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Cleaner production and the water cycle

Introduction to cleaner production

Maarten Siebel

UNESCO-IHE, Delft, The Netherlands

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CONTENTS

1. CLEANER PRODUCTION

1.1. INTRODUCTION INTO CLEANER PRODUCTION .......1

1.1.1. TREND-SETTING INTRO.................................................................................11.1.2. THEORETICAL CONCEPT OF ECO-EFFICIENCY.................................................3

1.1.2.1 Monitoring key to improving eco-efficiency ..........................41.1.3. WHAT IS CLEANER PRODUCTION, HOW IS IT ACHIEVED?..................................51.1.4. CLEANER PRODUCTIONGOOD BUSINESS? ..................................................81.1.5. CLEANER PRODUCTIONA FUTURE PROSPECT? .........................................111.1.6 REFERENCES ............................................................................................12

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1.1. INTRODUCTION INTO CLEANER PRODUCTION

1.1.1 TREND-SETTING INTRO

Environmental impact is inherent to the very existence of life. Plants die at the end of theirlifetime, leaving organic material to microbial organisms to degrade and reuse. Animalsdie and leave organic or inorganic material behind for degradation and/or reuse. Equally,human beings die and leave their bodily materials for subsequent use. This has been thecase since there was life on earth and in principle would, by itself, never be reason forconcern.

Concern comes in when realizing that man, in contrast to plants and animals, does not tolive only from what is readily available in nature but also uses materials which are notreadily available such as those found under-ground, in the sea or in the atmosphere, oruses these after physical or chemical alterations.

In doing so, man may have various impacts upon his environment resulting fromobtaining certain materials, making products from those materials, using those productsand, after the useful life thereof, discarding these products.

With only few people on earth, these impacts could easily be absorbed by theenvironment, did not really affect our environmental capital. However, the growth of thepopulation in the last century has been exponential. Was the impact from a few hundredsof millions of people possibly acceptable, the impact of over 1 billion started to becomevisible (interestingly, the global two billion population level was reached at the time thatenvironmental awareness in The Netherlands resulted in the construction of the firstwaste water treatment plants, around 1930).

Many of the problems we are presently facing can be associated with 1) the size of thepopulation inhabiting this planet, 2) the increasing global per capita materialconsumption, and 3) the material and energy inefficiency of industrial activities insatisfying this consumption.

The focus of this paper is on the third point industrial efficiency. The objective is toshow that there are ample opportunities to improve upon the efficiency of industrialactivities and, therefore, to reduce the environmental impact thereof.

EXAMPLE INDUSTRIAL IMPACT: GLOBAL WARMING:

- Through burning fossil fuels in power stations, furnaces and heating systems,

- By allowing the evaporation or release of certain chlorinated solvents and CFCs,

- By operating processes, maintaining buildings and running transport systems which donot employ the most effective means of saving energy,

- By poor maintenance - inefficient vehicles, processes, machinery can lead to increasedconsumption of fossil fuels.

Eco-Management Guide, 1998

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THE COST OF END-OF-PIPE:

In 1992 the US spent US$ 100 billion, the EU US$ 30 billion on end-of-pipe treatment.However, There is very little direct financial return to the industries that incur thisexpenditure (Ecological Sustainable Industrial Development, 1994)

Industrial activities contribute significantly to some of the main global environmentalproblems. A few examples are given in the text boxes (Eco-Management Guide, 1998).

The presently common approach from industry, when willing to reduce theirenvironmental impact, is to construct facilities at the end of the production line to reducewaste flows, the so-called end-of-pipe approach.

EXAMPLE INDUSTRIAL IMPACT: INDUSTRY & WASTE:

- By producing environment unfriendly products such as dyes, synthetic fibers, paints and

plastics,

- By producing sludge containing heavy metals,by concentrating on cures and treatmentsfor waste (end of pipe) rather than preventing its creation,

-By not investigating methods for recycling and re-use of waste, such as paper andmetals,by

- By failing to investigate waste-exchange schemes

Eco-Management Guide, 1998

This approach could be considered logical when realizing that it follows the commonwisdom (we only see the doctor when we already have headache), and mostgovernments thinking (e.g. legislation, stimuli, subsidies) are geared that way. However,one may justly wonder if this approach is in the interest of the industry, and even in theinterest of the environment.

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U1S1-5 - Introduction to Cleaner Production