Cleaner Production
What is Cleaner Production?
Cleaner production is a strategy to reduce the environmental impact of production processes through continual product, service and process improvement, and to work towards ecologically and economically sustainable development. Cleaner production reduces pollution and waste at source, minimising environmental impact, simultaneously improving efficiency and reducing costs. Cleaner production can often be achieved through relatively simple housekeeping methods, without the need for expensive outlays and high technology solutions.
Benefits
- Reduced production costs through greater efficiency
- Decrease waste of input resources
- Increase productivity and improve products
- Reduce energy consumption
- Recover valuable by-products
- Minimise waste disposal problems, including charges for waste treatment
- Cleaner production generally yields economic returns as well as environmental benefits
References
Cleaner Production and Eco-Efficiency. Complementary approaches to Sustainable Development, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
Other Links
Centre of Excellence in Cleaner Production, Curtin University, Perth
Eco-efficiency & Cleaner Production, Federal Department of the Environment
UNEP Cleaner Production Program
Cleaner Production New Zealand
Increasing Resource Efficiency: Waste Minimisation Policy
Making other companies green, Alternative Technology Association
Construction and Demolition Recycling Operators Code of Ethics, WMAA