Cleaner production in Portugal—a general approach

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0959-6526(95)00019-4

J. Cleaner Prod., Vol. 3, No. 1-2, pp. 25-28, 1995 Copyright © 1995 Elsevier Science Ltd Printed in Great Britain. All rights reserved 0959-6526/95 $10.00 + 0.00

Cleaner production in Portugal--a general approach M . Peneda and R. F r a z i o

INETI/ITA, Estrada do Paso do Lumiar 1699, Lisbon, Portugal

In order to understand the framework for the first Portuguese Demonstration Programme on

Cleaner Production, the situation of the Portuguese industry and industrial politics is presented. In this context the activities of the Portuguese Ministry of Industry and Energy are referred to as well as its strategic lines for industry technological support, including the stimulation of cleaner production in companies. The main pollution problems in Portugal are also presented, related to industrial solid waste, water pollution, air pollution and natural and man-induced risks, as well as the needs for investments in the 1990s for their control. The Portuguese Cleaner Production, organized by INETI-ITA, is then presented, stating its main objectives and activities: preparation of the programme, demonstration projects phase, implementation of the options, monitoring and evaluation, dissemination of the results. Keywords: cleaner production; Portugal; industrial policies

Portuguese industry and industrial politics In the 1980s, we could still see many negative aspects in the Portuguese industrial structure with its natural weaknesses, mainly when compared with other EU countries, namely: • a deficient industrial specialization, based on traditional products vulgarized in the international market • a strong dependence on the outside world related to raw materials, equipment and energy resources • inadequate company development strategies • low levels of investment in modernization and innovation • a deficient strategy for internationalization • low levels of quality and productivity • poor activities for human resources qualification Industry's environmental care was then also very weak. To implement the environmental side of the Portuguese Ministry of Industry and Energy (MIE) policies, one of the main instruments was the first PEDIP (Specific Programme for the Development of Portuguese Industry), a 5-year programme. In that time, this framework led to the necessity to emphasize productive investment in PEDIP, giving attention to the infrastructure component, indispensable then to industrial development. One of the PEDIP's subprogrammes considered particularly the environment, as well as quality management and industrial design. Despite some imperfections

this first PEDIP was a success, being considered by President Delors to be a very positive programme. Today, PEDIP II (Strategic Programme for the Dynamization and Modernization of Portuguese Industry), up to 1999, continues the first one, focusing on the industrial company with very well defined strategies and projects that integrate every part of a consonant development of its functional areas, namely environment, leading to sustainable competitiveness in a global economy. It is important to say that PEDIP II now requires an audit or a review of the environmental and energyrelated performance of the company, in its access conditions for funding. Gradually, MIE is supporting the dynamic factors for competitiveness, and strengthening the support to SMEs which in Portugal comprise more than 90% of companies and employ more than 70% of workers. The number of companies with more than 500 workers is about 350. This actuation is inserted in the main objectives of the environmental side of the MIE's industrial politics, aiming to: • modernize existing industries, considering environment as one of the dynamic factors for competitiveness • introduce and develop new industries with high technological content and high quality in a Total Quality context • improve the efficiency of companies, improving

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Cleaner production in Portugalma general approach: M. Peneda and R. Fraz~o their environmental performance, and therefore achieving a significant prevention/reduction of pollution of air, water, soil and biota by wastes, in such a way that their sustainable competitiveness could be progressively reached. In this pontext, MIE's main strategic lines include: • to stimulate the Cleaner Production (CP) promotion in companies; • to stimulate industrial WWTP's optimization; • to stimulate environmental sensitization and tailormade training; • to stimulate environmental management in the framework of the company's global management for Total Quality.

Main

pollution problems in Portugal

Industrial solid waste In 1986, 1.05 million tons of hazardous industrial solid waste were produced in the various activity sectors, mainly in the chemical industry. There was a general lack of treatment systems and there was no collective treatment or controlled disposal sites. In all, 75% of waste was estimated to be subjected to uncontrolled land disposal. Some of these solid wastes are taken to municipal dumping sites. Only a small part is incinerated, mainly by the chemical industry. The industrial branches have been encouraged through sectorial contracts and specific financing to treat their wastes and to improve their environmental awareness. Some collective technical solutions are now being implemented, namely for surface treatment and leather tanning branches. The studies for bringing data up-to-date show that the total amount of hazardous industrial waste, in Portugal, was 1.37 million tons in 1992, about 30% more than in 1986. A significant decrease in the production of hazardous waste in industry is presented in Figure 1. These figures are due to the fact that some important plants were closed since 1986, mainly in the chemical and fertilizer industries. Nevertheless, the mining and electricity production sectors presented

800t

1

1986 1992

6OO

4O0

200

Mining

• Mining; local disposal and return to mines • Textiles; landfill connected with waste water treatment • Leather, pulp and paper; local landfills • Chemical, metallic and pharmaceutical products: solvents regeneration and chemical treatment • Rubber; local use • Power plants; local landfills and ashes for cement plants • Commerce and services; energetic valorization and demetallization.

Water pollution In 1990 the organic load was about 40 million equiv./ inhab, being about 30 million from industry. Main contributors are pulp and paper companies (22%), textiles (12%) and the chemical industry (6.5%), as well as pig-breeding (9.5%). There are some cases which can be classified as serious environmental problems, as in some branches of rivers Ave and Lena, in the north, and Trancfio, near Lisbon, or some coastal areas like the Matosinhos and Estoril coasts. The coastal water quality depends on the discharge of urban and industrial waste waters directly into the sea. This organic load is expected to be about 4 million equiv./inhab., for a resident population of 1.5-2 million inhabitants on the coast. Important environmental degradation factors are also harbour works and ship traffic along the coast. As to underground water quality, the overall situation is still scarcely known, being in the northern and central coast, an area of high urban-industrial density, and in the Algarve, areas with a greater probability of pollution problems on aquifers.

L/

Industry

Commerce Electricity services production

Figure 1 Hazardous waste production in Portugal (thousands of tons)

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an increase in the production of their wastes because important plants came into production meanwhile. In 1994 the Portuguese Government decided to implement a centralized waste management system, including appropriate treatment/disposal infrastructures, the system being considered technically and economically feasible, leading to one more efficient control. The system will include one collective incineration and physical-chemical treatment unit, two landfills and one transfer station. The new waste management system will provide appropriate treatment for 15% of the total amount of hazardous waste produced (Figure 2). The other 85% will be subjected to other solutions:

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11% 3% 1%

1"'7 Landfill Incineration l l Physical-chemical Other

85% Figure 2

Waste treatment/disposal of hazardous waste

Cleaner production in Portugal--a general approach: M. Peneda and R. Fraz~o Besides, there are in Portugal obvious infrastructure deficits: only 77% of the population is served by a water supply system. The attendance levels are 55% for domestic waste water collection, and 21% for treatment. On the other hand, industrial discharge control has been centred in sectorial contracts, namely for pulp and paper and leather tanning.

Air pollution Air pollutant emissions come mainly from industrial and power plants, as well as from the big city traffic. The most recent data available, related to the end of the 1980s, shows an annual decrease of 7% in SO2 emissions, an increase of 5% in NOx, and of 2% in VOC emissions. In the areas of higher urban-industrial density, the limit values for SO2, TSP and 03 were sometimes exceeded. Portuguese legislation has kept up with EU legislation, namely in relation to large combustion plants, waste incineration, mobile sources, and ozone, as well as with regard to the Montreal Protocol and the Agreement on Climatic Changes.

Natural and man-induced risks Desertification. Land degradation is increasing, comprising more and larger areas. There are already some locations in Alentejo and Algarve, in the south of Portugal, with significant desertification levels. Radioactive pollution. Portugal has no nuclear power plants, but there are many Spanish ones located along the Tagus and Douro rivers. There is also the problem of radioactive waste discharge on the sea. Grave accidents. Industrial accidents, hydrocarbon leakage and dam disruptions are the accidents carrying more risk. Grave industrial accidents are already covered by law, ATRIG (Technical Authority to Grave Industrial Risks) being the competent body for the European rules application. Hydrocarbon leakage is a kind of accident to which the Portuguese coast is very vulnerable and sensitive. Recently an accident with a tanker happened near Matosinhos. Dam disruptions now present a very low risk, given the good level of the Portuguese technology. Nevertheless, there is always some accident possibility due to operation errors or to the occurrence of natural phenomena of exceptional amplitude like floods or earthquakes. Investment for the nineties Water and air pollution control and solid waste treatment will need high investment efforts in Portugal in the nineties, in order to achieve attendance levels close to EU figures. An investment of about 428000 million PTE is expected, distributed in the way shown on Figure 3. This amount means an expense of about 5.9% of GDP, corresponding to 43 000 PTE/ inhab.

1% 27o4%

l---1 Urbanwaste Hazardouswaste Air Urbanwastewater Industrial wastewater

Figure 3 Investment needs by sector (1991)

Cleaner production The shift from end-of-pipe solutions to cleaner production will not be easy in Portugal, as in other countries worldwide. Although the need for this change in corporate behaviour and culture has the support of the MIE in its industrial policy instruments, like PEDIP II, we feel that end-of-pipe solutions will continue to be the preferred options in the short term. Nevertheless our Institute, INETI's Institute of Environmental Technologies (ITA), a MIE department for environmental technology support to industry, is very engaged on activities for the progressive introduction of cleaner production in the industrial sectors. Within this framework we organized the First Seminar on Cleaner Production, with UNEP and P R E P A R E / E U R E K A representatives, sponsored by MIE. This event had a strong participation of industrialists and was the starting point for a Cleaner Production Programme based on demonstration projects on 10 companies. The Programme will be supported by PEDIP II. To introduce cleaner production (CP) in Portuguese industries, the programme is designed to include: (a) several demonstration projects in and validate the CP approach (b) the diffusion of the approach throughout Portuguese industry (c) results to prove the existence of for CP in Portuguese industry (d) the development of an adequate

order to develop and the results a large potential CP policy.

The main objectives of the Programme are listed below: 1. To develop and test a Portuguese methodology for implementing CP. 2. To initiate and carry out several demonstration projects to prove: • the efficiency and effectiveness of the CP • the short- and long-term economic and environmental benefits of CP • benefits of changing the existing culture and practice of companies • the possibilities of several non-technical and technical options for CP in the participating companies • cost savings from the smaller, if any, investments in end-of-pipe technologies. 3. To disseminate the results (successes and failures)

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Cleaner production in Portugalna general approach: M. Peneda and R. Fraz~o

4. 5. 6. 7.

among industrial, political, and governmental organizations. To build national expertise on CP within a variety of institutions. To formulate recommendations for effective policies to implement CP. To develop a plan with potential topics for R&D, oriented at solving industrial needs on CP. To build a Cleaner Production Portuguese Network based on entities participating in the programme, and link it with similar international networks.

The programme can be divided into the following activities.

(A) Preparing the programme. The main activities in the preparation phase are: selection of the companies for the demonstration projects, preparation of the first version of the manual PREPOL, and a introduction workshop for the companies selected. (B) Performing the demonstration projects phase. The demonstration phase is based on the application of the manual PREPOL. The overall purpose is to show in practice that CP is an economically and environmentally sound approach that can be successfully performed by Portuguese industry. In the ten selected companies, a complete CP procedure will be performed by an interdisciplinary team of ITA, company representatives and specific experts.

(C) Implementation of the options. The total company-specific project period up to the implementation phase will be approximately 8 months. Although implementation periods for CP changes may vary in length, It is expected that over a total research period of approximately 2 years the companies will be able to implement many of the feasible changes that can be implemented at no or low cost, and a start will have been made with process changes that need investments. For all good CP options that require further technical development, and/or higher investments, specific projects can be submitted within the framework of PEDIP II or other funding programmes. (D) Monitoring and evaluation. The evaluation and monitoring will overview the implemented CP procedures (technical and non-technical) and will be planned according to the kind of company and its problems. For this monitoring it is necessary to select different parameters upon which to evaluate. This will be done by selected environmental parameters, economic evaluation and overall management and performance indicators. Comparison wil be made on the basis of specific waste streams and emissions, comparing the initial situation and the new situation after implementation. (E) Dissemination of the results. To promote CP

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in the Portuguese industry, information about the concepts, methodologies and results of this programme will be disseminated in various ways and among a variety of institutions. The main goal of this dissemination is to have a multiplier effect of the number of Portuguese firms involved in future CP programmes. This will be organized separately in an 'Extension Programme, following on this one. Within the same holistic new approach, ITA has also organized, with the support from PREPARE/ E U R E K A members, two courses in 1994, one on Ecodesign and the other one on LCA, that can be the basis for new programmes. The relevant industries were involved. The programmes will be elaborated in co-operation with them and will have the support of some PREPARE colleagues. These activities will be submitted for funding to PEDIP II structures. In addition, ITA is also participating in two EU R&D projects, one on Ecodesign and another on EMS, because we consider scientific co-operation essential to achieve significant steps forward in CP. We think that the main difficulties in improving a new attitude in Portugal and a change to a new approach towards environmental safeguards are: • lack of environmental culture in most companies • as a result, lack of commitment at the top levels to the real practice of prevention approaches • environmental problems are still considered mainly as constraints • lack of strategic thinking and predominance of 'shortterm profits' solutions, so 'end-of-pipe' strategies • lack of knowledge of cleaner technologies available on the market; need for R&DT real development. We believe that if we want to build a sustainable development, basic conditions are to give more acute attention to environmental safeguards at the world trade level, to stimulate the real need to change from curative strategies to preventive ones, to ameliorate the actual world legislation framework, to improve cooperation and technological transfer, and to improve R&DT on CP. Also clear definitions of concepts and methodologies must be involved in the framework of new environmental matters like CP, LCA, EMS and Ecodesign.

Further reading DGA/TECNINVEST. 'Estudos Complementares Relacionados com o Sistema Centralizado de Gest~o de Residuos. Actualiza~o dos Quantitativos dos Residuos,' Estudo no. 1539, Direcqio Gerai do Ambiente, Lisbon, 1994 MARN. 'Livro Branco sobre o Estado do Ambiente em Portugal,' Ministrrio do Ambiente e Recursos Naturais, Lisbon, April 1991 MARN 'Piano Nacionai da Politica de Ambiente. Vers~o Preliminar para Discuss~o Ptiblica'. Ministrrio do Ambiente e Recursos Naturais, Lisbon, September 1994