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Cleaner production is a preventive, company-specificenvironmental protection initiative. It is intended tominimize waste andemissions and maximize product output.[1] By analysing the flow of materials andenergy in a company, one tries to identify options to minimize waste and emissions out of industrial processes throughsource reduction strategies. Improvements of organisation and technology help to reduce or suggest better choices in use of materials and energy, and to avoid waste,waste water generation, and gaseous emissions, and alsowaste heat and noise.
The concept was developed during the preparation of theRio Summit as a programme of UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programme) and UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization)[2] under the leadership of Jacqueline Aloisi de Larderel, the former Assistant Executive Director of UNEP. The programme was meant to reduce the environmental impact of industry. It built on ideas used by the company3M in its 3P programme (pollution prevention pays). It has found more international support than all other comparable programmes. The programme idea was described "...to assist developing nations in leapfrogging from pollution to less pollution, using available technologies". Starting from the simple idea to produce with less waste Cleaner Production was developed into a concept to increase theresource efficiency of production in general. UNIDO has been operatingNational Cleaner Production Centers and Programmes (NCPCs/NCPPs) with centres in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe.[3]
Cleaner production is endorsed by UNEP'sInternational Declaration on Cleaner Production, "a voluntary and public statement of commitment to the practice and promotion of Cleaner Production". Implementing guidelines for cleaner production were published by UNEP in 2001.[4]
In the US, the termpollution prevention is more commonly used for cleaner production.
Examples for cleaner production options are:
One of the firstEuropean initiatives in cleaner production was started inAustria in 1992 by the BMVIT (Bundesministerium für Verkehr, Innovation und Technologie). This resulted in two initiatives: "Prepare" andEcoProfit.[5][6][7]
The "PIUS" initiative was founded in Germany in 1999.[8] Since 1994, theUnited Nations Industrial Development Organization operates the National Cleaner Production Centre Programme with centres inCentral America,South America,Africa,Asia, and Europe.
