What is Cleaner Production?

Cleaner Production (CP) is a strategy for designing more eco-efficient corporate processes. This is achieved by optimising the products, the production processes and the services. Today, most companies rely on expensive downstream environmental protection technologies, for instance the subsequent filtration of pollutants or waste-water treatment. More and more companies realise, however, that preventive measures, such as those achieved by Cleaner Production, can reduce the burden on the environment and lower production costs at the same time. Moreover, conventional technologies for the protection of the environment can be applied in a more targeted and efficient way in the framework of a CP strategy.

What are the benefits of Cleaner Production?

With the use of CP strategies companies can save money and protect the environment. CP is a proven method to identify savings potentials and to develop tailor-made optimisation measures. For this, we offer services such as QuickScan and CP assessements to our clients or conduct applied research projects to test and try innovative approaches. In cooperation with Effizienzagentur Schweiz AG, a spin-off of the FHNW, we offer tailor-made solutions. We have extensive experience with CP projects in Switzerland, have a large national and international network and are active in the bilateral and multilateral development cooperation.

CP in production processes ...

...means a more consistently optimised material and energy flow in the production process. Production-integrated measures reduce environmental costs and the need for resources to a minimum. Companies should design these processes with minimal resource usage in mind and in a way that unwanted emissions and waste are reduced to a minimum.

CP in regard to products and services ...

...means a resource-saving design of goods and services throughout the entire product life cycle. Early planning in designing products makes it possible to optimise environmental costs and is the basis for eco-marketing (e.g. eco-labels). This strategy is supported by valuation systems such as the so-called ecological balance sheets or LCA (Life Cycle Assessments).

CP in the value chain ...

...means the consistent aligning of corporate activities to the preventive protection of the environment. CP reduces toxic by-products from services in the entire service chain – from the system design and usage to the entire consumption of resources to provide the services. It starts with the purchase of materials and product design and runs like a thread through the company, all the way to sales and logistics. As the material and energy flows are analysed and documented in detail, CP is a solid foundation for introducing and using environmental management systems (e.g. ISO 14000).

Why does it make sense to apply Cleaner Production in your company?

The Cleaner Production strategy has already been tested in many companies. Large corporations often introduce Cleaner Production on their own initiative. Small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs), however, often do not dispose of enough financial and technical means to conduct a CP assessment and implement CP alternatives with their own personnel resources. Therefore, SMEs need external support to introduce CP in most cases. The costs to identify or introduce new technologies and processes are usually saved later or even surpassed, not to mention the ecological and social benefits of the measures taken.

Why does Cleaner Production (CP) yield cost savings?

The following measures can yield fast and noticeable cost savings with a simultaneous increase of environmental protection:

• Saving costs by reducing consumption (material, energy, etc.)
• Sparingly using valuable resources
• Eliminating avoidable waste and emissions
• Rendering processes and quality assurance transparent
• Optimising processes by reviewing them
• Reducing environmental pollution to a minimum
• Using modern technologies and methods
• Safely complying with regulations