Manual on the Development of Cleaner Production Policies ... - Unido

DEVELOPMENT OF CP POLICY
MODULE 1: INTRODUCING CP
SLIDE: Why is CP beneficial for industry?
• Cost savings through reduced wastage both of energy and materials
• Improved operating efficiency of the plant
• Better product quality and consistency
• Recovery of some wasted materials
• Possibility to improve the working environment (health and safety)
• Improvement of the enterprise’s image
• Better compliance with environmental regulations
• Cost savings on end-of-pipe waste treatment
• New and improved market opportunities
The key point to make is that there are a variety of economic reasons why it is
profitable for a company to apply CP. Some involve direct savings, while others
are less tangible, such as an improved image or new market opportunities.
Background
Cost savings are one of the most important direct economic benefits from implementing a CP project.
Lower water consumption, higher energy efficiency or a reduced need for input materials result in
lower operating expenses. The improved efficiency of the plant’s operation, through the
implementation of both technical and management measures, is another benefit. This may in turn lead
to lower labour requirements to maintain production. Finally, as has already been mentioned, while CP
does not necessarily eliminate the need for end-of-pipe treatment, it may result in significant savings
in the construction and operating cost of pollution control equipment. The three factors mentioned
above lend themselves well to good housekeeping measures that normally involve little or no
investment.
Better product quality and consistency mean that fewer final goods are rejected for quality reasons.
Rejects at the final stage of production are very expensive since resources, time and labour have been
wasted producing something that cannot be sold, or can only be sold as an inferior quality item at a
low price. Since there is no foolproof quality check before goods are shipped to a client, improved
quality and consistency lowers the probability of a faulty product being delivered, an eventuality that
tends to strain the client-supplier relationship.
The recovery of wasted materials can be a crucial economic factor in some industries, where input
materials are expensive. In jewellery producing workshops, for example, there is less than 1 per cent
of gold wastage (process waste), not because jewellers are especially environmentally conscious, but
because the input material is so expensive. In terms of the more common industries, metal plating
shops, for example, can recover a significant percentage of the chemicals used in process baths,
thereby saving substantial amounts of money.
A better general management of operations can have a positive effect on the working environment,
and on health and safety. Lower absenteeism and the avoidance of potential liabilities from
employees’ claims are obvious benefits, albeit difficult to estimate accurately. The reduced risk of
uncontrolled releases and industrial disasters can help prevent environmental (and financial) damage
and help to avoid the related bad publicity. In countries where environmental consciousness is high,
there may exist the additional advantages of good publicity and promotion of the “green image” of a
company. This can in turn lead to new market opportunities, since some clients now require their
supplier chain to demonstrate a proactive environmental stance, e.g. through ISO 14001 certifications.
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