The concept of cleaner production, a preventive business practice, synonymous with improvement and competitiveness.
By Luis Ernesto Cañas Ramírez*
Cleaner Production, as an industrial practice began with the mechanisms of Clean Production that during the decades of the 70s and 80s companies implemented with a corrective approach. The so-called "end-of-tube method" consisted of giving a single treatment in the last stage of the industrial process to the polluting substances or elements originated during or after it in order to reduce the negative impact they could cause to the environment.
Unlike this trend focused on an approach of correcting damage, Cleaner Production introduced principles of prevention and continuous improvement to each and every one of the stages of processes, products and services, to avoid the generation of negative effects on the environment. Among its benefits, in addition to the protection of the environment, Cleaner Production favors:
- The reduction of the operating costs of the companies.
- The improvement of the physical environment.
- The occupational conditions of workers: decrease diseases that are associated with products whose effects are toxic.
In the context of a global economy, where the effects of industrial practices take on a scale that transcends the local, global markets increasingly demand the implementation of good social and environmental practices. Likewise, in terms of added value, Cleaner Production acts as a differentiating element when it comes to acquiring products or services in a world that is increasingly becoming aware of environmental sustainability.
Proof of this is the commitment expressed by the United Nations through the 2030 Agenda which contains 17 Sustainable Development Goals, including clean water and sanitation, affordable and non-polluting energy, responsible production and consumption, climate action , underwater life and terrestrial ecosystems. We must remember that these commitments are in the process of adaptation by the Colombian Government1, and that among the fundamental agents for the success of this vital strategy for the future of the country are companies2, which have been committed to global initiatives that reinforce environmental protection actions, in accordance with the Rio declaration on the environment and development, promulgated in 1992.
Environmental Know-How: producing knowledge to increase environmental sustainability: This principle of prevention of Cleaner production refers to the way in which a company anticipates the processes that within its daily operations negatively affect the environment, looking for the origin of failures and possible solutions through the implementation of sustainable strategies, the use of cleaner technologies and the application of good business practices, in addition to the proper disposal of final product waste, packaging, surplus waste, etc. All of the above becomes their environmental "Know How".
Sharing experiences in this field is vital for process improvement. The construction of knowledge from industrial practice is a sign of environmental responsibility that has a positive impact on internal practices as well as on business prestige. For this reason, from Project Advisors for the Chemical Industry we try to collaborate with companies interested in protecting the environment, which are becoming more and more every day.
The following are some of the practices your company can implement to get started:
- Identify and characterize hazardous waste based on the analysis of the production process and the use of raw materials.
- Characterize hazardous waste through its hazard classification, determining the amount of its generation.
- Establish hazardous waste management measures in order to promote management that guarantees the protection of the environment and the health of workers. An essential requirement is to know the local procedures – municipal, district – for the collection, recycling, transport and final disposal of waste.
- Determine measures for the minimization of hazardous waste generation through process optimization and the implementation of good practices.
- Promote and reward internal initiatives to improve procedures and clean formulations.
- Monitor and control the plan in order to maintain comprehensive management through periodic evaluation and calculation of indicators.
- Train company staff and consumers, in order to create a culture of care for the environment and continuous improvement in the company.
- Disseminate and promote among its chain of suppliers and consumers as an added value of its products.
In Project Advisors for the Chemical Industry, taking into account the above, we are trying to collaborate with companies interested in protecting the environment, designing cleaner procedures and formulations and the final disposal of waste originated during the process and after the use of the products, creating awareness and incentives for the workers of the company and consumers of the products of the companies producing coatings.
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1. To this end, the National Planning Department (DNP) created a High-Level Commission for the Enlistment and Effective Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which has already begun the process of adapting them to our institutional context. See: https://www.dnp.gov.co/Paginas/Colombia-presenta-avances-de-los-Objetivos-de-Desarrollo-Sostenible-ante-la-ONU.aspx
2. An important fact for the management of the chemical industry is that today the promotion of corporate social responsibility, which runs parallel to the global interest in environmental sustainability, is a reality. The provisions of the Global Compact, an initiative led by the United Nations in Colombia, is an expression of this. See: http://www.pactoglobal-colombia.org/index.php/medio-ambiente
* Luis Ernesto Cañas is the manager of Project Advisors for the Chemical Industry. You can be contacted at the email [email protected]
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