"Cleaner production is a continuous application of an integrated preventive environmental strategy to processes and products so as to reduce the risks to humans and the environment."

Step 1: Getting started: planning and organizing.

• Establishing a CP team.
• List process steps & identify waste  streams              
• Select audit focus.

Step 2: Analyzing process steps.

• Prepare process flow charts.
• Collect baseline data.
• Material & Energy balance.
• Assigning cost to waste stream.
• Review of process to identify waste/excess resource consumption causes.

                   

Step 3: Generating CP opportunities.

• Identifying CP opportunities.
• Preliminary screening of opportunities.

Step 4: feasibility analysis.

• Assess technical feasibility.
• Assess economic viability.
• Environmental assessment.
• Select solution for implementation.

Step 5: Implementing and monitoring.

• Prepare implementation plan.
• Implementing CP production solutions.
• Monitor and evaluate results.

Step 6: Sustaining CP.

• Identify another audit focus.

CLEANER PRODUCTION-BACKGROUND AND POLICY ISSUES

Conversions processes do not convert the resources to usable goods at 100% efficiency. This short fall in conversion efficiency gives rise to unwanted materials that are termed as wastes.

   The economic implication of waste is two fold:

• A direct monetary loss proportional to the quantity of useful material in waste.
• Costs involved in the treatment/disposal of waste to make it less harmful.

The initiatives of UNIDO and UNEP in establishing Cleaner Production centers and projects of government of India like the waste minimization circles, Demonstration of Waste Minimization/ Cleaner Production in various industrial sectors could only be the starters. CP has to be built and integrated into the day-to-day business strategy.

THE BENEFITS OF CP:  

• Conservation of Raw Materials and Energy.
• Lower costs.
• Improved environment.
• Better compliance with environmental regulations.
• Working Environment.
• Quality improvement.
• Improved efficiency.
• Better access to finances.
• Market requirements.
• Public Image.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF CP:

In order to realize the full potential of CP the following three issues are the basic requirements:

• Managements Commitment.

This involves direct involvement and supervision of the management. Most important is the conviction. The seriousness has to be reflected in programs and actions, not merely words

• Operators Involvement.

While the management’s involvement in decision making and propelling cleaner production activities is essential, ultimately the shop floor work has to be carried out by the operators and supervisors.

• Organized Approach

 An organized approach in assigning responsibility, fixing targets, reviewing progress and timely implementation would enable to establish the program as a continuous activity and develop a culture of doing better.

   BARRIERS TO CLEANER PRODUCTION

The barriers to Introduction of cleaner production can be listed as follows.

1. The environmental laws of the country are not scrupulously enforced.
2. Even in areas where the CP options are economically viable, without calculating the environmental benefits, the entrepreneurs are not willing to invest money because they are not aware that the returns can be so quick and fabulous.
3. The present environmental laws in the country and their enforcement, practically emphasizes the technical standards and not the performance standards.
4. The present environmental laws stipulate full compliance of the MINAS, with no credit given for the partial compliance.
5. Lack of financial resources.
6. Many entrepreneurs feel that the time and effort that is needed for introducing pollution prevention methods can better be utilized in improving other area of profitability, like marketing or raw material procurement etc.

What the Government Can Do?

There are two parts to the reply.

• One is to improve the general awareness about environment and
•  create a situation in which the improvements can be self propelled.

This is definitely a time consuming task. Government has been making efforts in this direction for a long time. These efforts have not been a thumping success. Even after 20 yrs of awareness creation, there is inadequate political will to control pollution. If the awareness creation was successful, the country would have been resolute in controlling pollution and those who do not comply with pollution control regulations would have been dealt with an iron hand. But this has not happened.

Even in developed countries, a rise in unemployment percentage leads to reduced spending on environment. Therefore creation of awareness to enhance the acceptability of harsh pollution control measures is not realistic solution. It does not yield quick results.

However one should not leave this line of action. The government should aim at improving environmental awareness among masses, so that even the small improvements in the perception of people make it easier to enforce pollution control measures.

The second part of the question of govt. is to maximize effective enforcement within the constraints imposed by the present level of political acceptability. It is very clear that the enforcement agencies are not utilizing the available political will to the maximum extent for producing optimum results.

A Specific Course of Action To Promote Cleaner Production

1. Identify the units which are already complying with standards
2. Sell the idea of cleaner production to these units.
3. Identify the most influential units among those who do not comply with standards.
4. Take samples from such units
5. Modify the directions to the units if they agree to implement the package prepared for their category of industry.

Initiatives for promoting waste minimization.

1. Waste minimization circles.
2. Other initiatives
3. Environmental statement
4. Scheme for adoption of Clean Technologies in small scale industries.
5. Ecolabeling.
6. National Awards for Prevention of Pollution.
7. Penalties for Breach of Regulations.

     

POT SHOT AT SMOKE: (A CASE STUDY)

This is the case of palam potteries unit situated at palam, near Delhi.

The unit was using Down-Draught Coal fired kilns for pottery making. Since the Delhi airport is close-by, the unit was under constant pressure to control emission. The emission was particularly severe after firing of the coal. Particulate emission were 2.5 times more than the permissible level (3000mg/Nm3 Vs the prescribed standards of 1200 mg/Nm3)

Initially the unit tried to solve the problem by end-of –pipe pollution control measures, by installing cyclones to remove particulates.

The problems remained unsolved, because cyclones are an incorrect choice for a pottery unit where dust particles are of a very fine size.

Cleaner production revealed that smoke was being generated principally because of improper firing practices and combustion management.

These conditions were modified by training the operators on efficient firing practices such as:

• Instead of four shovels per firing, only two shovels per firing.
• Augmentation of induced draught fan capacity
• Installation of Draught control system.

The adoption of these practices resulted in:

1. A drastic reduction in smoke emission, down to 1100 mg/Nm3, thereby avoiding the need of installing an expensive air pollution control system.
2. Saving 28 per cent fuel worth Rs. 2,50,000 per year, due to better combustion efficiency.

      Other benefits that accrued were:

• Better quality of pottery due to better heat, distribution in the kiln and rejection rate down by 50 per cent.
• About 3-4 weeks were now needed to augment fan capacity.