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RESOURCE MANUAL
Manufacturing Knowledge & Skills for Sustainability
Part 1
Guideline Brief
GUIDELINE COMPETENCY STANDARDS FOR SUSTAINABILITY
ISBN : 0 85590 826 2
June 2007
Acknowledgements
Funding provided by: New South Wales Department of Environment and
Climate Change (DECC NSW)
Prepared by:
National Centre for Sustainability (NCS) at Swinburne University of Technology
Author: Dory Russell, NCS Swinburne
Project Management: Tomi Winfree, NCS Swinburne
Project steering committee: Frouke de Reuver, DECC NSW
Linda Condon, NCS Swinburne
Bob Paton, Manufacturing Skills Australia
Kim Peterson, TAFE NSW
Design:
Simon Francis, Ministry of Motion
Research:
Cydoni Younie
Photographs
Swinburne Press, National Centre for Sustainability and
Unlimited Photos To Go:
http://unlimited.photostogo.com
The content of this publication is provided for education purposes only. No claim is made as to
the accuracy or the authenticity of the content. The information in this publication is proved
on the basis that all persons accessing it undertake responsibility for assessing the relevance
and accuracy of its content. No responsibility is taken for any information or services which
may appear on any linked websites. If using any information provided in this manual, please
ensure proper acknowledgement is noted.
Neither, the New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change nor the National Centre for Sustainability at Swinburne University of Technology, accepts any liability to
any person for the information or advice (or the use of such information or advice) which is
proved in this publication or incorporated into it by reference.
If you believe that information of any kind in this publication is an infringement of copyright,
in material in which you either own copyright or are authorised to exercise the rights of a
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Part1- Guideline Brief Contents
1.1. Executive Summary
01
1.2. Competency Standards for
Sustainability
1.2.1. Target audience – Guideline Brief
03
1.2.2.
Contextualisation
04
1.2.3.
Purpose of the competency
standards for sustainability
06
02
1.3. Sustainability and the
manufacturing sector
07
1.3.1.
Sustainability – a global issue
07
1.3.2.
The impact of the manufacturing sector
08
1.4. The business case for
sustainability 1.4.1.
13
Sustainable solutions are
innovative solutions
13
1.4.2.
The triple bottom line
14
1.4.3.
Shareholders’ recognition of
sustainability
17
1.4.4.
Green options providing an
economic advantage
17
Cost savings through sustainable workplace practices
18
Environmental regulation turned into a business advantage
19
The competitive edge offered by sustainable business
19
1.4.5.
1.4.6.
1.4.7.
1.5. Identifying industry specific impacts
1.5.1. Overview of an Environmental
Improvement Program
Environmental impacts of metals 1.5.2.
1.5.3.
1.5.4.
1.5.5.
21
21
and engineering industries
22
Environmental impacts of the
textile industry
23
Environmental impacts of furniture manufacturing industries
24
Environmental impacts of dry cleaning industries
25
III
Guideline Brief Sustainability defined:
“…using, conserving and enhancing the community’s resources
so that ecological processes, on which life depends, are maintained and the total quality of life, now and in the future, can be
maintained.”
Australia’s National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development (1992)
“...development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs.”
Brundtland Report “Our Common Future” (1987)
IV
Manufacturing Knowledge and Skills for Sustainability Resource Manual
Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW
National Centre for Sustainability at Swinburne University
2007
Guideline Brief 1.1.
2007
Executive Summary
In response to a growing need for providing learners with knowledge and skills for sustainable workplace practice, the Manufacturing Skills Council (Manufacturing Skills Australia) imported the
Guideline Competency Standards for Sustainability in 2006. They
have been submitted to the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training for endorsement by the National Quality Council for inclusion in the Competitive Manufacturing Training
Package. The relevant competitive manufacturing units of competency are:
MCMT272A
Participate in environmentally
sustainable work practices
MCMT472A
Implement and monitor environmen
tally sustainable work practices
MCMT672A
Develop workplace policy and
procedures for sustainability
The material in this manual is designed to facilitate teaching and
learning of those competencies in formal vocational training and
education settings as well as on the job. This manual comprises:
1.
A Guideline Brief for training providers, curriculum develop
ers, consultants and other stakeholders who are seeking to provide training for sustainable manufacturing industry practice. This section includes a business case for sustain
ability, showing the many and increasingly recognised ben
efits that can be achieved through sustainable industry practices and “greener” products.
Guideline Brief 2007
2.
A Teacher / Mentor Guide to assist the delivery of the Com
petency Standards for Sustainability in the Competitive Manufacturing Training Package. This section includes ma
terial for assessment of the competency standards and pro
fessional development materials.
3.
A Learner Guide for students, apprentices, trainees and on-
the-job learners who are undertaking the competency standards.
All sections contain numerous links where readers can refer to
more sector-specific information.
The role of vocational training and education is not only to teach
existing work practices but also to prepare learners for the workplace of the future. The sustainability units will facilitate learners’
understanding of the environmental impact of their workplace and
provide the knowledge and skills to minimise that impact.
At the higher Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) levels, the
units can equip learners with the skills to seek out and develop
more sustainable solutions for work practices and systems, making
a major contribution to a business’s innovation and risk management strategies.
1.2.
Competency Standards for
Sustainability
A set of Guideline Competency Standards for Sustainability (GCSS)
were developed in response to the growing need for vocational training and education to accommodate the new knowledge, skills and attitudes required in the ecologically sustainable workplace of the future.
The standards can be used to meet the requirements outlined in the
DEST Training Package Developers Handbook (Legislation section).
They also address actions described in a number of national strategies dealing with education for Australia’s sustainable future including
Australia’s National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development
(1992) and the National Greenhouse Strategy (1998), and the United
Nations International Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) in which the Australian government is committed
to participate.1
The GCSS were officially “noted” by the National Training Quality Council in May 2005. They are located on the National Centre for Sustainabil-
Manufacturing Knowledge and Skills for Sustainability Resource Manual
Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW
National Centre for Sustainability at Swinburne University
Guideline Brief 2007
ity Resource Bank2, and are available to be imported into Training
Packages. Since then, the Manufacturing Skills Council (Manufacturing Skills Australia) imported the GCSS in 2006; these units have
been submitted to the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) for endorsement by the National Quality Council for inclusion in the Competitive Manufacturing Training Package. The relevant competitive manufacturing units of competency are:
MCMT272A
Participate in environmentally
sustainable work practices
MCMT472A
Implement and monitor environmen-
tally sustainable work practices
MCMT672A
Develop workplace policy and proce
dures for sustainability
The material in this set of resources is designed to facilitate teaching and learning of those competencies in formal educational settings as well as on the job.
1.2.1 Target audience – guideline brief
The target audience for this document includes:
•
•
curriculum developers, program designers, regis
tered training organisations (RTOs) and workplace training managers making training content deci
sions
consultants, customers and other stake holders seeking to provide training for sustainable
manufacturing industry practices
•
trainers and mentors seeking background informa
tion to assist delivery of sustainability competencies through Training Packages into which they have been customised.
Guideline Brief 2007
1.2.2 Contextualisation
The qualifications can be delivered in a variety of ways. Because sustainability in the workplace includes aspects of quality principles,
change management, process analysis, teamwork effective communications, continuous improvement principles, mistake proofing
and occupational health and safety (OHS), delivery might be integrated with other units of competency dealing with these matters.
This approach will allow learners to cover more units in a shorter
time as well as demonstrate how sustainability principles interrelate, and are applicable, across all work activities.
For example, one of the Competitive Manufacturing level II systems
units that could be delivered in conjunction with the MCMT272A
would be:
Unit: MCM200A
Apply competitive manufacturing pratices
Element
Performance Criteria
1. Focus on the basic
competitive
manufacturing
concepts
1.3 Identify value contribtions along the chain
2. Improve the product/ process value
1.4 Recommend methods of increasing own
contribution to the value chain
2.3 Identify things which do not contribute to
customer benefits/features
2.4 Recommend methods for increasing features/ benefits
3. Use competitive
manufacturing tools
3.1 Select appropriate tools for the job/process
3.2 Apply tool to the job/ process
3.3 Monitor the job/process and make adjustments to improve in accordance with procedures
Manufacturing Knowledge and Skills for Sustainability Resource Manual
Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW
National Centre for Sustainability at Swinburne University
Guideline Brief 2007
MCMT272A
Participate in environmentally sutainable practices
Could be delivered in conjunction
with MCMT272A
Where value contributions are identified in terms of increased efficiency in resource use: learner to analyse own
resource use and recommend ways to reduce resource
waste as a way of increasing their own contribution to the
value chain.
Waste of resource is identified as not contributing to
customer benefits/ features and learner recognises own
contribution in identifying and reporting resource waste
and other environmental risks and recommending improvements.
EMS, cleaner production tools or similar are applied as
tools for improvements with monitoring undertaken and
making improvements as described in the sustainability
unit.
Guideline Brief 2007
More details on the integration of units at different levels can be
found in the Teacher - Mentor Guide (Part 2 of this manual).
Customisation Advice, which provides details on the structure of the
qualifications when importing them into specific Training Packages,
is supplied with the GCSS and available at the Swinburne National
Centre for Sustainability Resource Bank. 3
1.2.3 Purpose of competency standards for sustainability
Within Australia and across the globe, proactive industries are setting a trend in sustainable development and triple bottom line policy
implementation. Recognising, among other benefits, the marketing
opportunities to be gained, these industries are initiating strategies
that exceed legislative compliance in terms of their environmental
performance. As this recognition is transformed into action, vocational training and education are seeking to accommodate the new
knowledge, skills and attitudes required in the ecologically sustainable workplace of the future.
The role of vocational training and education is not only to teach
existing work practices but also to prepare learners for the workplace of the future. The sustainability units will facilitate learners’
understanding of the environmental impact of their workplace and
provide the knowledge and skills to minimise that impact. At the
higher AQF levels, they can equip learners with the skills to seek out
and develop more sustainable solutions to work practices and systems, making a major contribution to a business’s innovation and
risk management strategies.
Manufacturing Knowledge and Skills for Sustainability Resource Manual
Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW
National Centre for Sustainability at Swinburne University
Guideline Brief 2007
1.3Sustainability and the manufacturing sector
1.3.1 Sustainability – a global issue
One of the key acknowledgements that have emerged from current
interest in sustainability is that environmental threats know no borders. Cyanide and metal by-products from the Australian-owned
Aurul goldmine in Romania in 2000, for example, found their way
into a creek adjoining the mine and then into a tributary of the Tisza,
the second largest river in Hungary. From there, the toxic material
travelled 550km from its source via the Danube River winding its
way through Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, the former Yugoslavia and
into the Black Sea. The cyanide killed all life in the Tisza and caused
immeasurable environmental and economic damage in the lower
Danube basin.4
While the geographical isolation of Australia provides some immunity from the environmental errors or negligence occurring in
neighbouring countries, other environmental challenges, such as
the possible impacts of the greenhouse effect, can touch the entire
global community, regardless of proximity. While some countries
may be affected less than others, possible indirect impacts (e.g. environmental refugees,5 ) suggest that this is an issue for everyone to
be concerned about.
Therefore, environmental issues are at once global, national and
local. The key sustainability issues facing Australia today might be
summarised as impacts in the areas of air quality, water quality,
natural resource supply, land, wildlife, noise and cultural and natural heritage. The manufacturing sector impacts more significantly
in some of these areas than in others, for example, air quality with
implications such as the greenhouse effect and air polluting emissions. Factsheet 1 summarises some of the key sustainability issues
facing Australia and the world today and indicates the role of manufacturing in those impacts. The table links to other factsheets in the
Resource Toolkit that provide more information about what manufacturers can do to reduce impacts.
It should be noted that implications to manufacturing resulting
from sustainability issues include the perception of the wider community. The expectation that enterprises and industries generally
take responsibility for the impacts of their operations on the environment has sharpened in recent years and a perception exists
in some quarters that much of the inequity in the distribution of
global resources is the “fault” of industrial corporations.
Guideline Brief 2007
While there is a strong and favourable argument for the global benefits of industry generally, there is pressure on all industries to be
seen to be doing the right thing. This has given rise to the “corporate responsibility” movement in which the world’s larger and largest environmental impacting enterprises appear to be leading. For
example, revegetation techniques have been greatly researched,
advanced and improved by the efforts of the mining sector to minimise the impacts on land and wildlife of mining operations.
Corporate responsibility sits in the intersection of the environmental, social and economic health circles of the “triple bottom line”
concept described in section 1.4.2. Through taking a responsible
corporate approach, industry generally has the potential to play an
exemplary and enormously valuable role in taking us into a more
sustainable future and a better world. This can be undertaken within a small, local community or for global corporations it can be on
a global scale. An industry steered in an honourable direction can
achieve faster and more far-reaching change than any number of
small environmental groups and individuals.
1.3.2 The impact of the manufacturing sector
Most manufacturing processes will have a range of environmental
impacts, not least of which involves the use of non-renewable resources. The concept of “embodied resources” acknowledges that
a product is made up of not just the tangible material we see and
feel in the final product; the embodied energy also includes all the
resources that went into mining (growing and harvesting), processing, manufacturing, transporting and distribution and marketing of
the product before it reaches the customer. See Factsheet 4.
Manufacturing Knowledge and Skills for Sustainability Resource Manual
Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW
National Centre for Sustainability at Swinburne University
Guideline Brief 2007
Australia’s “State of the Environment” Report is produced every five
years, the most recent having been published in December 2006.6 A
similar report is produced for each individual state. The following data
is sourced from Australia’s State of the Environment Report, 2006:
Australian electricity comsumption (PJ)
•
Electricity consumption has been steadily increas
ing. The rate of growth in electricity consumption is also expanding, from an increase of 1.9% in
2001–02, to 3.4% in 2002–03 and 5.0% in 2003–04.
880
860
840
820
800
780
760
740
1999-00
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
Australia’s electricity consumption – source ABARE 2005 PJ (petajoules)
•
The sectors of highest energy use are road transport and industry generally, which uses gas, electricity and petroleum energy sources with very little record of
alternative energy use yet showing though the data.
Guideline Brief 2007
•
Rising fuel prices have significance for manufactur
ing enterprises with flow on effects to the costs of producing and distributing products. The following table shows quarterly average prices for fuel in
Australia’s capital cities from 1982 to 2006. Note: From 1994, figures are for unleaded petrol. Leaded petrol is approximately 2 cents per litre more expen
sive.
Price Per litre (Cents)
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
1982
1985
1988
1991
1994
1997
2000
2003
2006
Quarterly average prices for fuel in Australia’s capital cities from 1982 to 2006. Note:
From 1994, figures are for unleaded petrol. Leaded petrol is approximately 2 cents per
litre more expensive.
10
Manufacturing Knowledge and Skills for Sustainability Resource Manual
Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW
National Centre for Sustainability at Swinburne University
Guideline Brief 2007
•
Greenhouse gas. The largest and fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia is the energy sector, contributing 68.6% of Australia’s net emissions. Much of the total can be attributed to the stationary energy subsector (the main source, at 49.6% of net emissions) and the road transportation subsector (12.5% of net national emissions).
500
400
300
200
100
0
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Million tonnes CO 2 3
600
Stationary
Transport
Fugitive
Industrial process
Agriculture
Waste
Land use, land use
change and forestry
11
Guideline Brief 2007
While industrial processes, which include manufacturing, show
only a small impact in the graph, the importance of both transport
and the production of electricity (high greenhouse gas emitters) to
manufacturing implicates the sector in the total emissions.
12
•
Landfill data continues to show the commercial and industrial sector as having the greatest impact in most states. Examples from the manufacting sector demonstrate great potential for the recycling and reuse of waste materials. (See “Sustainabity tools for manufacturers” in the Resource Toolkit).
•
Strategies for the capture, treatment and use of storm water are poorly developed. Urban
stormwater from the many hard surfaces in
cities is essentially not used, even though thearea
of the combined “catchment” is equivalent to that of most urban water supply catchments. Use
of rainwater tanks increased 15% from 1994 to
2004 in the household sector only. Potential for
rainwater capture by manufacturers, many boasting huge roof catchment areas, has yet to be explored and exploited.
Manufacturing Knowledge and Skills for Sustainability Resource Manual
Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW
National Centre for Sustainability at Swinburne University
Guideline Brief 2007
1.4The business case for sustainability
There are numerous programs designed specifically to assist manufacturing industries to reduce their environmental impacts. Most
of them recognise the primary goal of enterprise as being both to
maintain and to increase productivity and profit. For this reason,
many of the programs provide mechanisms to help enterprises and
sectors of industry weigh up and prioritise the most cost beneficial
technologies and practices.
An organisation can approach sustainability from a basis of product,
process or practice, or all three. Life cycle analysis and eco-design
principles, for example, deal with improving the efficiency and sustainability of products. An organisation that improves the sustainability or “eco-friendliness” of its product will gain a valuable advantage in a market that increasingly seeks verification of a product’s
“harmlessness.”
On the other hand, an organisation that focuses on reducing waste
– energy, water, solid and liquid waste, gaseous emissions – through
the manufacturing process will benefit from the cost savings that
result from the more efficient use of resources.
1.4.1 Sustainable solutions are innovative solutions
Jon Pepe
2nd year Swinburne UniversityIndustrial
Design 2005
Café Lounge
Materials- mild steel frame with fabric
remnants for fashion/ upholstery
industries
Innovation is accepted as one of the most important factors stimulating economic and employment growth in Australia and sustainability appears increasingly as a key element of corporate innovation strategies. A recent study of innovation in Australia by the
Business Council of Australia asserts that contemporary business
thinking has “moved well beyond the idea that the only objective
of corporate strategy is to increase shareholder value in the short
term. Sustainability and social responsibility have emerged as key
business drivers.”
Examples include the following:
•
Manufacturing company, DuPont,8 sees innovtion as creating commercially successful products, processes, or services that contribute to sustainable growth and a smaller “environmental footprint”.
13
Guideline Brief 2007
•
Qantas sees the application of new aircraft technol
ogies which can improve not only the economics
of the business and the customer experience
but also reduce the environmental impact through more efficient aerodynamics and engines as
a fundamental aspect of driving competitive advan
tage.
•
The Toyota Earth Charter provides a comprehensive approach to global environmental improvement through the full lifecycle of Toyota’s operations. The Charter describes four principles to guide the devel
opment of Toyota Australia’s environmental policies: contribution towards a prosperous 21st century, pur
suit of environmental technologies, voluntary ac
tions and working in co-operation with society.
The report also highlights the importance of education and training in providing people with the capabilities to contribute to business innovation success. It shows that innovation requires not only
strong technical skills in the workforce but also those associated
with communication, teamwork, problem solving, ongoing learning, creativity, cultural understanding, entrepreneurship and leadership. Sustainability programs provide an ideal vehicle through
which to develop these skills. They are skills of particular value when
seeking to reduce environmental impacts in an industrial setting
where many of these impacts do not have immediately obvious solutions. Many of the sustainable manufacturing industry programs
and tools listed in Part 4 of this guide facilitate and encourage precisely those skills.
Returns on investment for manufacturing industries undertaking
training have been cited as up to 1,277% (Huntsman Chemical Manufacturing – savings in Workcover premiums). 9
1.4.2 The triple bottom line
Natural resources are vital to economic activity. The balance of natural resources is also vital to the health of individuals and the environment. The increasing realisation of the mutual interdependence
between the economy, the environment and social well-being is
driving society’s discourse on sustainability.
Where the bottom line for business has traditionally been mea-
14
Manufacturing Knowledge and Skills for Sustainability Resource Manual
Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW
National Centre for Sustainability at Swinburne University
Guideline Brief 2007
sured as a dollar value, a variety of forces have started a demand
for a triple bottom line measure to be applied to productivity. This
includes the measurement of an enterprise’s effect on the health of
the environment and society as well as keeping an eye on the profit
margin.
To fully integrate triple bottom line attitudes and behaviours into
our culture, economists and business people should be educated
in environmental issues and impacts, environmentalists should be
educated in economic principles and practices and both should be
aware of the inter-relation of these disciplines with the well being of
the society in which they operate.
For example:
Fresh, unpolluted air and
waterways,
Preservation of natural
resources Biodiversity
maintained
Environmental
health
For example:
Social
health
Corporate responsibility, integrity
and accountability
for all aspects
Economic
health
For example:
For example:
Environmentally sustainable work practices,
Environmentally sustainable products,
Green purchasing policy
Fair pay and conditions,
“Family friendly” workplaces, Honest staff communications
OHS precautions
15
Guideline Brief 2007
From an economic point of view, this means balancing the social
benefits of “green” practices and regulations with their costs. This
balance is increasingly possible, taking into account regulation,
evolving technology and economic considerations. There are abundant examples of industries that have adopted environmental sustainable initiatives as part of their ongoing innovation strategies for
business growth and found them astonishingly successful.
Examples of industries making public statements about their recognition of the need for sustainability and their commitment to it
include:
16
•
•
The 25 industry associations that have signed a three-year, voluntary agreement with the Common
wealth Government, publicly committing to eco-effi
ciency initiatives, including the Western Australia Chamber of Commerce and the Australian Paper Industry Council. Initiatives include reporting on the eco-efficiency performance of their member companies, development and monitoring of appro
priate eco-efficiency indicators and trialing or devel
oping Environment Management Systems, or Envi
ronmental Accounting.
•
Holden Australia11 has an environmental policy that focuses on emissions and waste to landfill and all GM Holden facilities are independently certified to the environmental quality standard ISO 14001. As part of this certification, GM Holden must demon
strate it is managing environmental risks to prevent both point source and fugitive emissions. It must also set continuous improvement targets to reduce impacts on the environment.
BP Australia acknowledged in 1997 the need to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and set a target to reduce emissions from the organisation’s operations to 10% below 1990 levels by 2010. This was achieved nine years ahead of schedule, and in doing so, added US$650 million value to BP’s global business. BP has set out number of other tar
gets and initiatives to reduce environmental impacts.
Manufacturing Knowledge and Skills for Sustainability Resource Manual
Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW
National Centre for Sustainability at Swinburne University
Guideline Brief 2007
1.4.3 Shareholders’ recognition of sustainability
As a result of heightened concerns in the broad community with
environmental issues, occupational health and safety and ethical
standards Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) funds are increasingly popular in Australia.
An estimated $1.9 billion has been invested in socially responsible
companies by Australian managed investment schemes and superannuation funds. An 86% increase in SRI was measured between
2000–2001. Investment in SRI is expected to continue to increase in
line with the growing perception on the part of Australian investors
that funds can be invested in a socially responsible manner without
sacrificing financial performance.12 This trend will prove beneficial
for industries that can boast sustainable products and practices.
The annual review for the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes undertaken in September 200613 shows that companies are getting increasingly educated about the specific sustainability risks and opportunities in their sector and continuously move beyond general
aspects of sustainability. Climate change reportedly continues to
attract increased attention, with more companies recognising that
climate change will have a major impact on their future operations
and product offering.
1.4.4 Green options providing economic advantages
Companies that have sought and found less impacting practices in
the production of their goods are often rewarded with significant
cost savings as well as being provided with a positive marketing
spin. For example, paper company, Norske-Skog Australasia, which
supplies 70% of Australia’s newsprint, reduced energy use and cost
by one fifth when it began substituting new fibre with recycled fibre in its processes.
Kwinana industrial area in Western Australia is recognised internationally for its contributions to industrial efficiency.14 A complex
resource exchange network involving at least 28 heavy industries
in the Kwinana industrial strip resulted in 106 resource interactions
between neighbouring industries in 2002, rising from just 27 in
1990. Research shows the potential for a further 104 interactions.
Waste exchange allows, for example, sulphur – a by-product of oil
refining – to become a useful input to agricultural fertiliser, thereby
reducing waste treatment and disposal costs for the enterprise producing the waste.
17
Guideline Brief 2007
1.4.5 Cost savings through sustainable workplace practices
Reviewing workplace practices to eliminate waste of raw materials,
energy and water, and reduce solid and liquid waste has the potential to reduce significant costs to business. Immediate savings can
be had by simply ensuring that all machinery and appliances are
effectively maintained to optimise efficiency and that all staff are
versed in efficient practices – switching off lights, reporting water
leakages, separating recyclables etc.
In some cases, workplace practice that enhances the sustainability
of a workplace may add costs – such as recycling in areas where it
is still cheaper to landfill material, for example. However, such costs
are often easily offset by the adoption of other sustainable practices
that save money, such as energy savings or discovering that a material formerly thought of as a waste product is actually a profit-making resource.
Masterfoods in Ballarat, Victoria, which produces 3000 tonnes of
chocolate and confectionery per year, embarked on a waste reduction program in 2002 after noting rapidly increasing waste volumes
and associated costs. Within 12 months of initiating the program,
waste was reduced by 50% and recycling of solid and sludge wastes
increased from 30% in 2002 to 85% in 2005. Large quantities of
waste food which were originally disposed, at significant cost, to
landfill now supplies a market for animal feed. A similar program applied to water conservation resulted in annual water consumption
dropping from 182 megalitres in 2001 to 117 megalitres in 2005.
The company continues to look for opportunities for improvement,
further reductions in waste and the associated cost savings.
18
Manufacturing Knowledge and Skills for Sustainability Resource Manual
Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW
National Centre for Sustainability at Swinburne University
Guideline Brief 2007
1.4.6 Environmental regulation turned into a business advantages
Adapting to regulatory imperatives can reinforce both a company’s
supply tactics and demand tactics. Compliance with regulations can
lower production costs and provide opportunity for increased sales
through green products. For example, at the time of debate over
the Montreal Protocol on protection of stratospheric ozone, chemical companies DuPont and ICI were major producers of ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and held patents on costly
CFC substitutes. Dupont and ICI eventually supported the Montreal
Protocol, which not only advanced a legitimate environmental interest in protecting the ozone layer but also wiped out the market
for commodity CFCs – thus increasing the value of the companies’
alternative technologies.15
1.4.7 The competitive edge offered by sustainable business
Chairman Ray Anderson of US-based Interface Flor carpets16 saw
a huge cost savings and a major business opportunity in redesigning carpet so that it could be hired, rather than bought, replaced in
worn areas rather than completely replaced and totally recycled at
the end of its life instead of being sent to the landfill. In realising his
vision, Anderson’s company has achieved a 35% reduction in waste
materials and a competitive product that allows consumers to turn
their carpet into a tax-deductible expense instead of a capital expenditure.
From another perspective, sustainable manufacturing and design
may provide the efficiencies in Australian operations required to
compete with the huge industrial growth currently occurring in China. Forecast to achieve economic growth of 7% per year for the near
future, and to surpass Germany as the world’s third largest economy
by 2008, China is now the third largest producer of cars globally –
1.8 million new cars were added to China’s roads last year.
Moreover, there are also indications that China is increasingly recognising that its incredible growth will not be sustained if social and
environmental factors are ignored. The government has designated
10 “model environment cities” including the development of sustainable industry parks. Over 60% of the participating Chinese companies in a survey by Global Environmental Strategies indicated that
environmental sustainability was a matter of social commitment.17
China is also keen to reduce its energy use, with ambitious targets of
doubling the amount of renewable energy used to 15% by 2020.18
19
Guideline Brief 2007
As long as this trend is sustained, Australian manufacturers are facing a global market where green and sustainable manufacturing is
a key competitive factor.
Linked to these developments is the opportunity for Australian
manufacturers to take a leading role in meeting the rapidly growing market for alternative technology components.
20
Manufacturing Knowledge and Skills for Sustainability Resource Manual
Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW
National Centre for Sustainability at Swinburne University
Guideline Brief 2007
1.5Identifying industry specific impacts
1.5.1 Overview of an Environmental Improvement Program
Most environmental improvement programs follow a fundamental
framework that might be summarised as follows:
Step 1 Planning and organising.
Who will be involved and where do we start?
This may include:
•
obtaining shareholder and management commitment
•
organising / participating in a work team
•
setting objectives
Step 2 Assessment
What are the current impacts in the workplace/ of the product?
This may include:
•
collecting existing data (e.g. waste disposal, water and energy costs)
•
obtaining preliminary feedback from workers on the front line
•
developing a material flow assessment
Step 3 Generating options
What are our options for improvement?
This may include:
•
undertaking detailed assessments: (waste, energy and environ
mental audits)
•
identifying options for improvement
•
evaluating options (technical, economic, social and environmen
tal feasibility)
•
production of an action plan and targets
Step 4 Implementing the plan
How do we make the changes happen?
This may include:
•
identification of stakeholders, roles and responsibilities
•
a communication plan – giving and receiving feedback
•
an induction program
•
a training program
•
monitoring and documentation
Step 5 Reviewing the program
How are we going?
This may include:
•
evaluating progress against targets
•
extrapolating all effects (e.g. dollars saved, waste diverted)
•
acknowledging achievements
•
setting new targets
•
planning for continuous improvement
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Guideline Brief 2007
The process can be revisited in a cyclical manner to tackle new issues and set new objectives, actions and targets as each set of objectives is accomplished.
Although specific environmental impacts and possibilities for improvement will vary widely between enterprises, the framework follows the basic Quality “Plan, Do, Check, Act” principles that can be
adapted to situations as diverse as an office or a factory floor.
Overview of environmental impacts on specific manufacturing industries
The following section deals with specific subsections of the manufacturing sector. It provides an overview of the main environmental impacts for each sector. More information on impacts in these
industries and for improvement can be found in Part 4 – Resource
Toolkit.
1.5.2 Environmental impacts of metals and engineering industries
There are a wide range of activities undertaken in metals and engineering industries. Environmental impacts at some of them include:
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•
fluid wastes such as cleaning and cooling
chemicals and other metalworking fluids
•
acid and alkaline wastes
•
solvent wastes
•
abrasive wastes
•
foundry sand waste
Manufacturing Knowledge and Skills for Sustainability Resource Manual
Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW
National Centre for Sustainability at Swinburne University
Guideline Brief 2007
•
paint overspray
•
high energy usage
•
particulate and dust emissions
•
stormwater, waste and groundwater
issues
noise.
•
1.5.3 Environmental impacts of the textile industry
A large proportion of the environmental issues affecting the textile industry are related to the use and discharge of water during
the manufacturing stage. Washings from dyeing and rinsing operations may produce hot, alkaline, highly saline, odorous and highly
coloured effluent. Other environmental issues requiring consideration are:
•
energy usage
•
chemical usage
•
stormwater
•
solid waste
•
emissions
23
Guideline Brief 2007
•
contaminated land
•
noise
•
hazardous materials
•
groundwater and other environmental issues
particular to the location of a facility.
1.5.4 Environmental impacts of furniture manufacturing industries
The furniture manufacturing industry can be broken in to three main
areas: furniture design, furniture making and furniture finishing.
It is estimated that 70% of a product’s environmental impact is determined at the design stage.19 Product developers or, in this case,
furniture designers are in a key position to influence and reduce the
impacts at both the selection of materials used and production as
well as at the end-of-life stage of the product.
Impacts of this sector include:
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•
dust and chemical emissions to air and water
•
energy use and greenhouse gas issues
•
materials waste through over specification and over designing
•
use of non-renewable materials
•
disposal issues associated with synthetic materials.
Manufacturing Knowledge and Skills for Sustainability Resource Manual
Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW
National Centre for Sustainability at Swinburne University
Guideline Brief 2007
1.5.5 Environmental impacts of dry cleaning industries
The dry cleaning operations industry comprises enterprises engaged in the cleaning of clothes and other fabric dry cleaning services, including cleaning, pressing and finishing.
There are many different dry cleaning processes and technologies
that are used within the industry, but no matter the cleaning method chosen by the professional cleaner, it affects the environment,
human health, business profits, increased compliance regulations
and the cleanliness and appearance of the clothes.
Impacts of this industry include:
•
air quality issues resulting from solvent laden vapors and odors, greenhouse gas issues resulting from en
ergy and transport use
•
hazardous waste from the use of chemical such as perchlorethylene
tradewaste water
•
•
high water and energy use.
For further information on environmental impacts and improvement opportunities for these industry sectors, see Part 4 the Resource Toolkit.
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