Cleaner production
Cleaner production Save money, protect the environment
Understanding cleaner production
Cleaner production and sustainable development
Business benefits of cleaner production
Queensland Cleaner ProductionTaskforce
Getting started
More information
Cleaner production is the continual effort to prevent pollution; reduce the use of energy, water and material resources; and minimise waste in the production process. It involves rethinking products, product components and production processes to achieve sustainable production.
Understanding cleaner production
Cleaner production is about considering the entire life cycle of products, including:
- product design
- selection of raw materials
- production and assembly of the final product
- consumer use
- managing all used products at the end of their life
Conventional production
- Processes not designed for waste prevention
- No use of by-products
- Expensive end-of-pipe pollution technology
- Expensive waste treatment, transport and disposal
Cleaner production
- Processes designed for minimum waste
- Maximum use of by-products
- Savings through reduced pollution control technology, and reduced waste treatment, transport and disposal
- Minimum impact on the environment
Clean production
- Zero waste
- Total use of by-products
- Zero impact on the environment
Cleaner production and sustainable development
We all know a clean, healthy environment is important for our future. Cleaner production can help protect our natural environment. By reducing our demand on non-renewable resources, and recycling and re-using products and resources, we can reduce our impact on the natural environment.
Present production systems are linear.
Cleaner production systems are cyclical. They try to imitate nature’s processes. Wastes are used as secondary materials so that fewer new materials and less energy and water are required.
Business benefits of cleaner production
Many businesses do not realise how much money they lose in wasted materials, energy and water, or through handling, storing and disposing of waste materials. Large and small businesses can save money by introducing cleaner production.
Cleaner production:
- leads to improved products and processes
- saves on raw materials and energy, reducing production costs
- increases competitiveness through the use of new and improved technologies
- reduces the need for more environmental regulation
- reduces risk from on- and off-site treatment, storage and disposal of toxic wastes
- improves the health and safety of employees
- improves staff morale, leading to better productivity
- improves a company’s public image
- reduces the cost of increasingly expensive end-of-pipe solutions
Queensland Cleaner Production Taskforce
The Environmental Protection Agency supports cleaner production principles and techniques. Part of that support is a Queensland Cleaner Production Taskforce Association Inc (Taskforce). The Taskforce consists of government, industry and teaching institutions, working together to encourage the exchange of information on cleaner production and its implementation.
Getting started
The following steps are a guide for managers who would like to move from conventional production to cleaner production.
- Develop and implement a comprehensive, corporate environment policy. This should be based on preventing pollution, minimising waste and reducing environmental risk generated by all corporate activities.
- Develop regular pollution prevention and waste reduction audit procedures.
- Develop a plan containing specific environmental goals and timetables for achieving them.
- Educate and involve employees at all levels. Employees should be involved in identifying and solving environmental problems at their source. Often employees on the shop floor can develop better solutions to waste problems than executives not involved in day-to-day production.
- Allocate responsibility for achieving goals to specific employees. Management should allocate sufficient employee time and financial support to ensure that work can be accomplished. The Cleaner Production Co-ordinator should be a senior management position.
- Gather the best management and technical information to help the business take advantage of waste reduction opportunities.
- Evaluate progress continually.
- Inform employees, shareholders and the public of the progress being made.
- Establish environmental award programs to foster and reward creative problem-solving.
- Review and update goals and timetables regularly.
- (Adapted from D. Huisingh, 1991, Cleaner Production: the most effective approach to achieving improved water quality, Reader Cleaner Production)
More information
Environmental Protection Agency
Sustainable Industries Division
PO Box 15155
City East QLD 4002
(07) 3225 1999
sustainable.industries@pa.qld.gov.au
or
Queensland Cleaner Production Taskforce Association Inc.
(07) 3225 1999
Last updated: 11 January 2007
