Cleaner Production Initiatives Research Articles

Life-Cycle Assessment in Hydrangea Cultivation in Colombia and Their Cleaner Production Strategies

In the subregion of La Paz Province in eastern Antioquia, Colombia, hydrangea floriculture has boosted economic and social development, generating high value in the territory; however, there are still environmental gaps to be resolved to make it a sustainable activity. This study analyzed some environmental aspects of cultivation based on life-cycle assessment under ISO 14040/14044 standards. The functional unit defined was 1 kg of hydrangea stems grown on a small farm of 0.45 ha, and the limits selected were gate-to-gate. The environmental impacts were evaluated using the CML methodology, Umberto LCA + 10.0.03 software, and the Ecoinvent 3.8 database. The most significant contributors to these impacts were ozone depletion, terrestrial ecotoxicity, and photochemical oxidant formation, which come from the application and pretreatment of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, plant residue generation, and fossil resource materials, such as polymers and fuels. In addition, two cleaner production initiatives were considered: composting plant residues for fertilizer (the use of 100% and 50% composting) and integrated pest management with biological control and natural agents to reduce pesticide use (30% and 50% of chemical pesticides). And the integration of both actions, with 50% composting and 30% substitution of chemical pesticides, was considered. The environmental impacts were reduced by 19.63% and 9.97%, respectively, for composting, 6.62% and 11.03%, respectively, for biological control, and 16.59% for the integration of actions. The two alternatives allowed for improving the crop, contributing to the minimization of environmental impacts, optimizing the use of inputs and fertilizers, and contributing to the sustainable development of floriculture.

Nitriding in non-toxic salts bath: An approach to implement cleaner production in the metallurgic industry

The need for sustainable development has been reflected in the adoption of cleaner production initiatives in the last years. However, the literature indicates that more research is still necessary to engage industries in adopting alternatives to reduce environmental impact. In that regard, we investigated a way to reduce the environmental impact in the metal-mechanical industry, caused by the conventional salt bath nitriding process. This technique commonly uses cyanides and cyanates salts as a nitrogen source for the formation of nitrides coating to improve the metal surface properties, especially to achieve high hardness. Thereby, this paper sets out an approach, as an alternative to obtain a nitride layer, formed by non-toxic salts: potassium nitrate additivated with a new condition of antioxidative salt, potassium chloride, which improves the nitriding efficiency and surface finish of carbon steel 0.2% C. The results indicated the formation of a white layer of 8 μm thickness and a diffusion zone around 200 μm, after 3 h of nitriding. There was an increase in hardness, from 198 HV on the substrate to 702 HV on the nitrided surface. Consequently, one can conclude that the use of non-toxic salts is an efficient alternative to improve the surface properties in low carbon steel with the advantage of applying green engineering approaches, feasible technologically to the decrease in the amount of pollution.

Life cycle assessment of sugar and electricity production under different sugarcane cultivation and cogeneration scenarios in India

Sugarcane is a valuable raw material for bioenergy and bioproduct production. The environmental performance of sugarcane-derived bioenergy and bioproducts vary with sugarcane cultivation practices and energy conversion technologies. A farm to factory gate life cycle assessment (LCA) is conducted to assess the energy and environmental performance of sugar production and bagasse electricity cogeneration in Maharashtra, India under different scenarios. Altogether 20 scenarios were developed taking four sugarcane seasons (adsali, ratoon, preseasonal and suru) and four cogeneration boilers (low pressure, medium pressure, high pressure and very high pressure). The functional units are the production of 1 tonne of sugar and 1 MWh of surplus electricity. The ReCiPe 2016 midpoint (H) method is used for impact assessment. System expansion is applied to assess the alternative uses of sugarcane by-products (trash, press mud and bagasse ash). The global warming potential (GWP) of bagasse cogenerated electricity and sugar range from 90 to 142 kg CO2-eq MWh-1 and 324–834 kg CO2-eq t-1 among the scenarios. The water consumption potential (WCP) varies from 209 to 354 m3 MWh-1 for electricity and 768–2097 m3 t-1 for sugar. The Cumulative Energy Demand (CED) for electricity and sugar ranges from 0.8 to 1.2 MJ kWh-1 and 3–8 MJ kg-1. The Energy Return On Investment (EROI) differs from 2.7 to 4.5 for electricity and 2.1 to 5.3 for sugar. The alternative uses of sugarcane by-products contribute to negative emission and lower the overall GWP by 13–15%. Scenarios producing only sugar have a much higher environmental impact than scenarios producing both sugar and surplus electricity. The combination of adsali sugarcane and very high pressure cogeneration boiler provides the highest environmental benefits among all scenarios. The findings can help enhance cleaner production initiatives in the Indian sugarcane sector.

Cleaner Production Initiatives in a Diesel Engines Factory

Cleaner Production Initiatives in a Diesel Engines Factory

Using rainwater in cooling towers: Design and performance analysis for a petrochemical company

Water is a natural resource and its eminent scarcity has led the global community to seek alternatives to reduce consumption and to invest in practices for water reuse. Considering this background, the use of rainwater appears as an alternative. Common sense is to use rainwater for houses and for crop irrigation but few initiatives focus on using rainwater for industrial proposals. In the present work, the technical feasibility of using rainwater in a large-scale cooling tower was evaluated in a long-term test. The results confirm that the quality of rainwater allows its use in large-scale cooling towers without affecting the process continuity. The use of rainwater resulted in the economy of 12,000 kWh/year as well as the CO2 emission was reduced by 2 ton/year. It means the impact of the industrial activity on the environment was reduced. The short payback (2 years), the positive results regarding corrosion and fouling, and the environmental impact reduction serve as an example for other industrial initiatives using rainwater. The study reveals that maximization of economic gains from cleaner production initiatives are achieved when eco-friendly initiatives are considered from the plant engineering design.

Indian smart cities and cleaner production initiatives – Integrated framework and recommendations

The need to focus on smart city initiatives across the globe seems to vary, as modern cities today are identified as complex ecosystems grappling with the management of several social, economic and environmental issues. Smart city development needs to embrace cleaner production initiatives to balance the demands placed on the key sectors of health, energy, education, media and other services. Following upon document and content analyses, the present study presents a comprehensive review of the existing smart city frameworks and cleaner production initiatives in the Indian context. Smart city planning processes, cleaner production practices, cleaner production problems and associated policies in practice are outlined in the results section. The drivers and challenges in smart city development and cleaner production initiatives are discussed in detail; recommendations for closing the identified political, economic, technical, human, social, physical and ethical gaps are outlined alongside a suitable integrated framework for the development of smart cities in the Indian context. Theoretical, methodological, practical and social implications of the study are outlined, alongside the limitations of the present study and avenues for further research.

Environmental impact reduction as a result of cleaner production implementation: a case study in the truck industry

This paper presents a case study of a truck manufacturing company in Brazil that implemented a series of initiatives towards cleaner production in the manufacturing process as part of the UNESCO Program for sustainable development. The current literature mainly emphasizes the cost reduction of the production processes and the economic gain resulting from cleaner production implementation, and the research focuses on the identification of environmental benefits. Few studies address the actual environmental impact reduction resulting from cleaner production initiatives. This study aimed to propose a procedure based on the use of the Material Input per Service Unit to gauge the environmental impact decrease obtained as a result of the adoption of cleaner production processes by a truck manufacturing company. The results from this study showed that there were social and economic benefits from the actions taken. There was a reduction of employees' exposure to hazardous materials and financial benefits of US$ 3.5 million for the company. There was a corresponding environmental impact reduction of 964 thousand tons of raw material that was not extracted from nature.

Green supply chain management and firms’ performance: Understanding potential relationships and the role of green sourcing and some other green practices

This study examines how the adoption of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices, including green sources, affects environmental and operational performance indicators. A multiple-case study was conducted using large Brazilian firms that have achieved particular success in their sectors and that occupy high positions in important rankings of corporate sustainability. The results of the study indicate that the GSCM practice of “internal environmental management” has the greatest positive effect on environmental performance indicators, and that the GSCM practice of “cooperation with customers” has the greatest positive effect on operational performance indicators. Thus, if a company aims to improve environmental performance (EP), it may create procedures and programs based on the environmental management system and adopt cleaner production initiatives. If a company intends to improve its operational performance (OP), it may respond to audits, improve information exchange between companies and clients and build research and development (R&D) areas to promote environmental innovation.

An innovative system for promoting cleaner production: mandatory cleaner production audits in China

Many studies have shown that positive and negative incentives can greatly promote cooperation in public goods games. The best policy for turning a population of defectors into a population of cooperators is to provide the “carrot” first and the “stick” later. Cleaner production (CP) is a new preventive environmental strategy, and its promotion is also an example of a public goods game. Voluntary participation and other positive incentives have been widely used to encourage industries to implement CP worldwide. However, taking into consideration specific industry characteristics and new environmental management requirements in China, the Chinese Cleaner Production Promotion Law proposes use of mandatory cleaner production audits (as compared to voluntary cleaner production initiatives) as innovative measures for advancing CP. This paper provides a general overview of this innovative system, explaining how the mandatory audit system was established and promoted in various policies, regulations, and national plans, and analyzing the design of the system. The paper also summarizes implementation results of the mandatory cleaner production audit system, based on annual surveys conducted in all provinces of China between 2008 and 2011. The Chinese experience can be used as a reference case by other developing countries similar to China.

Determination of indirect water consumption and suggestions for cleaner production initiatives for the milk-producing sector in a Brazilian middle-sized dairy farming

Current research measured the indirect water consumption in the milking process in a medium-sized dairy farming in the southwestern region of the state of Bahia, Brazil, to foreground the environmental management of water resources. The environmental impact associated with indirect water consumption throughout milk production (from milking to the moment milk is dispatched) was identified. The water consumption coefficient in the milking sector averaged 3.4 L-1 of milk produced, for 541 L of water consumed and a daily milk production close to 160 L. It should be underscored that professionals who deal with milking and cleaning activities have little or no instruction about the adequate use of water. Cleaner Production (CP) initiatives have been identified. It was proposed to the milking personnel that, if the initiatives are applied properly, they may contribute towards the reduction of water consumption and wastes without affecting either the quality of the final production. These initiatives comprised small and big actions such as staff training and replacement of cleaning equipment and fertilizing irrigation, which may immediately contribute towards the prevention or reduction of wastewater during milking. The qualitative and quantitative interpretation of data would contribute towards CP initiatives that might be implemented at the milking sector in the short, medium and long terms.

An implemented framework to estimate manufacturing-related energy consumption in product design

Manufacturing systems energy efficiency and the embodied energy of products are highly commented topics nowadays. So far, despite their interrelated nature, they have unfortunately been considered to be quite different from each other. Consequently, on one hand, product design remains as an unrecognised influence on the energy consumption of a manufacturing system, and on the other hand, manufacturing energy efficiency is unrealistically estimated in the calculation of product embodied energy. The present article integrates the existing literature on manufacturing energy consumption models and sets up a conceptual framework to assess the energy consumption of manufacturing systems from a product design perspective. This framework was implemented in a prototype software workflow, which was proven to generate interesting results for ecodesi gn and cleaner production initiatives. It helps in deriving realistic energy consumption values that can be linked to concrete product or process parameters, and therefore allows the improvement of product manufacturing energy efficiency at both design and manufacturing stages.

Conceptualising “coupling” for sustainability implementation in the industrial sector: a review of the field and projection of future research opportunities

Abstract The industrial sector is an important player in the global sustainable development agenda. Over the last several decades, the sector has made considerable progress towards the adoption of cleaner production initiatives and the implementation of broader sustainability practices. However there is a growing call for integrated and holistic approaches to meet sustainability objectives over broad spatial and temporal scales. The implementation of these solutions requires not only engineering solutions but also advances in the human systems responsible for control. This demands consideration of the interactions and feedback relationships between coupled human and engineered systems. The natural science, engineering and management disciplines have each had a history of research on coupling and may thus provide insights for making progress. This paper makes two contributions. First, it provides a comprehensive and integrative literature review of research on coupling efforts across three diverse disciplines: natural sciences, engineering and management. Differences across these disciplines included: the scope and aims of coupling research and the ontological perspectives adopted. Similarities included: a lack of consistency in terminology and a growth in social network analysis and simulation modelling as research methods. The second contribution of this paper is the application of a framework to guide future research on coupling within the industrial sector. This paper is relevant to academics seeking an overview of methodological advances in coupling research across disciplines and an understanding of how they might be integrated to inform future research efforts. The paper may also be of interest to industrial practitioners who seek novel insights for managing sustainability issues characterised by both social and technical constraints.

Cleaner Production initiatives and challenges for a sustainable world: an introduction to this special volume

Abstract This special volume of the Journal of Cleaner Production is comprised of articles presented at the 3rd International Workshop Advances in Cleaner Production held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2011. The content underscores the recognition of the pressing and inescapable need for making changes from unsustainable to sustainable production and consumption patterns. The 48 articles from 15 countries provide different, but complimentary approaches to help industrial and societal sectors in advancing on their paths towards sustainability. Initiatives and challenges are included, which systematically address problems affecting raw material changes, technological modifications, product and policy changes. The findings range from proposals for alternative uses of wastes, substitution of raw materials for environmentally friendlier substances, optimization of industrial processes by source reductions of wastes and emissions and documented economic and environmental advantages of a wide array of initiatives. The roles of operational and managerial practices are also stressed, highlighting the role of diverse stakeholders as promoters of implementation and internalization of innovative cleaner technologies within companies. Systemic assessment tools are employed and experimented with in order to more effectively evaluate the environmental performance of systems on the biosphere scale. The methodological procedures and proposals presented can help in the design and management of production systems, for governmental and corporate policy development, for implementing and monitoring CP Programs, prevention and mitigation strategies, and evaluation of the outcomes of CP initiatives in the production and service sectors.

CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION – SRI LANKA’S PERSPECTIVE

Climate Change with the associated increase in global temperature and sea level rise has become the most important global concern in the present day. A land mark event in this regard is the signing of the Climate Change Convention in 1992 in Rio, Brazil which provided targets for especially developed countries to reduce their Green House Gas (GHG) emissions by 5% of the 1990 levels by 2012.Mitigation of global warming involves taking actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to enhance sinks aimed at reducing the extent of global warming It has been found that almost 5400 million tons (Mt) of CO2 equivalents are emitted annually from various sources linked to human activities. Sri Lanka’s CO2 emission from fossil fuel combustion estimated at 2007 had been about 12,400 Gg CO2 which is only 0.04% of the global emission of 29,300 MtCO2 . The corresponding per capita CO2 emission was 648 kg in 2007 and although this is still much less than the global values, Sri Lanka has taken many policy measures that would result in mitigating GHG emissions.Mitigatory measures have been taken in all the sectors including energy (power, transport, industry and household and commercial), land use, land use change and forestry, waste etc. The Energy Policy and Strategies (2006) of the country emphasizes the need to resort to sustainable energy and has a target of having 10% of the energy from renewable sources (Non Conventional Renewable sources) by 2015, a target which can be achieved if all the pending initiatives towards this is made operational. Further, the Government is constantly questing for clean energy. Some of the other initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint in the service sector are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” (LEED), ‘Greening Sri Lankan Hotels Programme’, setting up of the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority in 2007.In the arena of industries, location of industries in industrial estates and conducting Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA), voluntary standards like ISO 9001, ISO 14,001, Green building concepts, the Green Tax, Cleaner production initiatives, Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) benefits have provided incentives to reduce GHG in this sector. Many national initiatives are underway in reducing the GHGs in waste sector too. As a country with a high canopy forest cover of 23.5% and a forest cover of 40% in general the potential to act as a GHG sink in forestry sector is very high. While ensuring the sustainable development efforts this will help the country to obtain benefits from CDM or Reduced emissions from Deforestation and Land Degradation (REDD and REDD)+ programs in the future

Cleaner production initiatives and challenges for a sustainable world

A medium size agribusiness located at Sao Sebastiao do Paraiso, Minas Gerais, Brazil, is evaluated in order to determine the effects of the integrated production process in its productivity. Results are compared with those obtained for agribusiness without integration. The farm is composed by an integrated production of corn, eggs, pigs and milk. Emergy accounting is applied to evaluate the energy and materials flows driving the production process. The farm total emergy is 1,23 x 10 seJ/ano. The values obtained for eggs, pigs and milk are, respectively, 24, 5 e 6 times higher than the results observed in literature for traditional production systems. Global productivity values for the three by-products are indicate that integrated production processes are more environmentally efficient.

Cleaner Production Technology on Controlling Emissions of Unintentionally Produced PCDD/Fs from Non-Wood Pulp and Paper Mills in China

As one of the main emission sources of PCDD/Fs, the pulp and paper industry has always been public concerns. In China, the consumption of non-wood fiber as raw material of pulp accounts for a relatively larger proportion in the total productivity. Here, the unintentionally produced PCDD/Fs emissions of five Chinese non-wood pulp and paper mills were investigated. The results showed that the increment of PCDD/Fs after bleaching with chlorine was about 1.71-28.19 times in pulp and 3.96-28.82 times in wastewater based on the existing technologies. In order to reduce the unintentional production of PCDD/Fs, the BAT/BEP transformation program was proposed as cleaner production initiatives featured by less or free use of chlorine in bleaching process, and evaluated by reduction effects and costs. The study showed the application of Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) sequences in bleaching process with improving technologies in other production stages would effectively decrease the generation of PCDD/Fs, other pollutant load as well as the water consumptions.

Cleaner Production and Eco-Efficiency in Australian small firms

This paper reviews the Cleaner Production (CP) and Eco-Efficiency (EE) initiatives from 30 Australian small firms that participated in government-funded programs. The review focuses on the type of opportunities implemented, their technical complexity and business significance, and motivators for their identification and implementation. Even though the results are only illustrative, they clearly show the diversity of solutions, which is testimony to the fact that CP and EE are business improvement strategies rather then fixed sets of technical solutions that can easily be replicated by other businesses. Moreover, the comparative analysis reveals that the business decision to implement CP or EE is a result of a complex interplay of environmental and business considerations.

Government–business relationships through partnerships for sustainable development: the green network in Denmark

Moving from largely command and control measures in the 1970s and 1980s, through cleaner production initiatives and self-regulatory initiatives in the 1990s, the emphasis is increasingly on using networks and partnerships between private firms, NGOs, government and civil society as levers for promoting a greening of industry. In terms of public–private partnerships, one of the foremost Danish initiatives is the Green Network in the county of Vejle. This initiative currently involves more than 250 companies and ten public bodies. The network started in 1994 and has grown in size and importance ever since. Fundamentally, it aims at providing new forms of co-operation between public authorities and private companies. The vehicle for this was initially a voluntary environmental statement by companies, who wished to be members. With the passing of time, however, the demands and pressures on both companies and public bodies have increased. Hence, the tools and means employed—outside as well as inside the network—have developed accordingly. In this paper, a distinct partnership mode of government–business relationships—a collaborative network with respect, trust and mutual legitimacy—is discussed and related to the Green Network way of doing things. The conclusion is that through dialogue, reflexivity and the establishment of an enabling environment, public–private partnerships can become useful vehicles in societies' move towards sustainability.

Cleaner production and eco-efficiency initiatives in Western Australia 1996–2004

This paper summarises developments in the promotion and implementation of cleaner production (CP) and eco-efficiency (EE) in Western Australia (WA), in four stages: groundwork (1996–1999), experimentation (1999–2002), roll out (2002–2004) and reorientation (2004 onward). The remoteness of WA and the dominance of the minerals, energy and agribusiness industries, contributed to the late interest in CP and relatively slow start. Pioneers in government, industry and academia started to come together in 1998–1999. Subsequent clarification of concepts and design of programs resulted in a two-pronged strategy to create both a supply and demand for CP services. This enabled a rapid increase in interest in CP, which started to level in 2004. Although this is partially due to external circumstances, it also appears that the limits of current CP and EE theory and practice have been reached. These limits appear to be at least two fold. First, current policies and program designs appear not yet able to achieve a step-increase in the number of businesses involved in CP. Insights from innovation and social marketing theory and practice are now being incorporated in the design and delivery of the next generation of CP programs. Second, it appears that mainstream CP tools are insufficiently catered to the technological and organisational complexity of many industries. Greater engineering and management depth in CP tools might be required to mainstream CP in routine process design, continuous improvement and change management practices.

Environmental management accounting as a reflexive modernization strategy in cleaner production

Understanding the material purchase value of wastes and emissions and related processing costs is the essential contribution of an Environmental Management Accounting methodology proposed by a United Nations expert working group organised through the Division for Sustainable Development (UNDSD). Tracing costs and benefits according to this UNDSD methodology, considered as a “reflexive” modernization strategy in this article, sheds new light on cleaner production initiatives for corporate sustainability. Information on the first category of costs, waste and emission treatment, is generally the most accurate. Information on the second category, prevention and environmental management costs, is more difficult to determine because this category overlaps with, or is confused with, the first category of costs. Data for the two novel and innovative cost categories of the material purchase value of waste and emissions and related processing costs are even harder to obtain. Frequently, the costs are either hidden in overhead accounts or are not recorded because they are not required in conventional accounting systems. The outcome is that companies, even though they may profess otherwise, have very little knowledge about their full environmental costs, cost saving opportunities, or how best to achieve cleaner production initiatives to promote corporate sustainability. A more systematic application of the UNDSD EMA methodology would provide a better record of costs and act as a catalyst in promoting cleaner production processes. This application inevitably requires “reflexive institutions” including “reflexive corporations”, that is, corporations with the capacity to examine the side effects of their operations as modernization rebounds upon them.