What is Clean Manufacturing?

By Ibtisam AbbasiReviewed by Laura ThomsonDec 4 2024

The manufacturing industry has been the backbone of the Industrial Revolution and scientific advancements. However, a significant rise in pollutants and global warming was recorded at the later stages of the Third Industrial Revolution and the onset of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, particularly due to the manufacturing processes and factories.¹ Governments and organizations worldwide resorted to sustainable, green, and clean manufacturing practices. Policies and laws have been established to promote cleaner and more efficient manufacturing techniques to reduce the carbon footprint. This article will highlight the fundamental concepts of clean manufacturing.

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Clean Manufacturing: An Overview

Clean manufacturing and clean production focus on fabricating industrial products with reduced emissions and waste and involve efficient resource planning and utilization during the complete product lifecycle. Experts define this concept as a set of well-defined laws, precautionary regulations, and management guidelines that aim to preserve the environment and minimize the release of pollutants and harmful chemicals during manufacturing while maintaining the quality of the final product.²

Clean manufacturing laws apply to the complete lifecycle of products to ensure human well-being while reducing energy needs and preserving resources. The clean manufacturing process encompasses various sub-concepts, including eco-friendly design practices, sustainable production techniques, resource conservation, and harmless waste disposal. With clean manufacturing, we can efficiently plan for the future and protect the environment while achieving scientific milestones.

A Brief History of Clean Manufacturing

Initial efforts for raising awareness of pollution

With the National Environmental Policy Act in 1969, developed countries like the United States (US) raised concerns regarding the increasing pollution worldwide and advocated to preserve the environment. Other countries, such as the Norwegian and Polish governments, raised awareness and developed efficient frameworks for a strong correlation between cleaner production, manufacturing, and environmental management systems (EMS).³

The first key step in introducing the concept of clean manufacturing or production was taken in the United Nations Conference on Human Environment. The conference held in Stockholm raised concerns about the destruction of the environment by industrial manufacturing, and many countries highlighted the critical need to promote sustainable manufacturing techniques.⁴

Resource efficiency and cleaner production: A key stage in the history of clean manufacturing

Clean manufacturing became the focus of industrial experts worldwide. However, a major development occurred in the 1990s when the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), established the Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) concept.⁵

The programs highlight three major areas:

1. Optimizing production efficiency
2. Environmental protection
3. Social enhancement to support communities while significantly reducing the risks.

These three concepts form the backbone of clean manufacturing, spearheading the shift toward sustainable industrial practices.⁶

With the awareness of clean manufacturing and production, the need to minimize and, if possible, eliminate harmful chemicals was highlighted. Before clean manufacturing, experts focused on developing methods to treat these chemicals after completing the manufacturing process. With clean manufacturing, a new thought process was adopted in expert minds, leading to a new era of green and safe industrial manufacturing.

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Applications of Clean Manufacturing

Chemical industry: How clean manufacturing reduces waste

Clean manufacturing/production has found critical applications in various industries, particularly the chemical industry. Every chemical process produces harmful chemicals, gases, and wastewater. Therefore, techniques that minimize the release of harmful chemicals and ensure efficient waste disposal are necessary.

Researchers have used clean manufacturing techniques during chemical engineering processes to preserve the environment. Mobile collection containers integrated with filter presses during chemical manufacturing prevent the spread of wastewater. Meanwhile, cooling systems for high-pressure pumps have been upgraded by using chiller closed systems, saving up to 24 m³ of water per day.

To preserve products and constituent materials, a specialized chamber press has been developed to extract chemical products from discarded semi-solid waste, reducing waste by about 45%.⁷

Applications in the textile industry

Clean manufacturing has led to a massive decrease in waste materials in the worldwide textile industry. Researchers have found that the return on investment for clean manufacturing strategies in Australia was 3 to 30 months, with major energy reductions, a significant decrease in water resource utilization, and a healthy saving in packaging material.

An extensive survey revealed that smaller companies implement clean manufacturing to save costs within the textile industry, without focusing on the environmental benefits, which are a side bonus for the company.

Clean manufacturing technologies enable medium-sized industries to obtain environmental certifications and comply with international standards, such as ISO 14001. Large multinational companies adopt clean manufacturing for cost savings and to advertise their sustainable operational workflow to gain international clients for exports.⁸

Using clean manufacturing techniques has led to the development of efficient EMS frameworks and audit plans for the textile industries, which have reduced freshwater pollution worldwide. Although many smaller companies struggle due to financial constraints, adopting a well-defined clean production strategy enables them to promote sustainable and optimized manufacturing methods.

Applications of clean manufacturing in the automotive industry

In the automotive industry, major manufacturers worldwide have rapidly adopted clean manufacturing. World famous German auto-makers BMW and Volkswagen have swiftly adapted clean manufacturing techniques, such as using eco-friendly composite manufacturing methods, to produce fiber composites for car interiors.

Methods have been established to use scrap metal from the automotive manufacturing industry as a raw material input for 3D printing sustainable automotive components. These practices reduce the carbon footprint and resolve supply chain issues associated with the automotive industry.⁹

Battery manufacturing, construction material development, mining, and the electric vehicle industry have adopted clean manufacturing. With each passing day, the focus on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is increasing, necessitating the implementation of clean manufacturing by all major industries.

Latest Trends and Research in Clean Manufacturing

An Artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT)- based framework called AIoT infrastructure is being integrated into the clean manufacturing framework to enhance efficiency. It allows for early detection of faults and defects in manufacturing equipment, minimizes waste, and significantly enhances efficiency.

Using AIoT, sensors can analyze large amounts of data in real time, and AI algorithms can alter environmental conditions to minimize harmful emissions.¹⁰

Apart from academia, governments worldwide are also investing heavily in clean manufacturing. The US Environmental Protection Agency has allocated a staggering sum of 160 million dollars to 38 different companies to allow them to develop and implement clean manufacturing and eco-friendly frameworks for producing construction materials.¹¹

A clean and sustainable manufacturing process for stainless steel will reduce emissions and harmful byproducts and significantly enhance the performance of hydrogen fuel cells. For example, bipolar plates are a critical hydrogen-based energy storage technology component.¹²

Conclusion

Clean manufacturing has been at the forefront of sustainable industrial practices. The investment in clean manufacturing by automotive giants, such as BMW, and developed countries, such as the US, highlights that clean manufacturing laws must be obeyed. With digital technologies, clean manufacturing practices will only improve and allow for a quick return on investment for manufacturing companies.

References and Further Reading

1. Mohajan, H. (2021): Third Industrial Revolution Brings Global Development. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities. 7(4). 239-251. Available at: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/110972/
2. Gomes da Silva, F. et. al. (2020). Cleaner Production Main Concept and History. Cleaner Production. Springer, Cham. 15-31. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23165-1_2
3. United Nations Industrial Development Organization (2024). Safeguarding Environment: Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP). [Online]. Available at: https://www.unido.org/our-focus-safeguarding-environment-resource-efficient-and-low-carbon-industrial-production/resource-efficient-and-cleaner-production-recp [Accessed on 3 October, 2024]
4. Ishara, G. et. al. (2023). Introduction of Cleaner Production and Sustainable Development Goals. Journal Of Research Technology & Engineering. 4(2). 160-172. [Online]. Available at: https://www.jrte.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Introduction-of-Cleaner-Production-and-Sustainable-Development-Goals.pdf [Accessed on 3 October, 2024]
5. Doniec, A. et. al. (2002). Assessment of the potential of cleaner production implementation in Polish enterprises. Journal of cleaner production, 10(4), 299-304. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0959-6526(01)00041-5
6. UNIDO’s Environment Solution: Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) Programme. (2017). United Nations Industrial Development Organization. [Online]. Available at: https://www.unido.org/sites/default/files/2017-05/RECP_EN_0.pdf [Accessed on 3 October, 2024]
7. Abou-Elela, S. et. al. (2007). Application of cleaner production technology in chemical industry: a near zero emission. Journal of Cleaner Production, 15(18), 1852-1858. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2006.10.005
8. Oliveira Neto, G. et. al. (2020). Assessing the implementation of Cleaner Production and company sizes: Survey in textile companies. Journal of Engineered Fibers and Fabrics, 15, 1558925020915585. https://doi.org/10.1177/1558925020915585
9. de Mattos Nascimento, D. et. al. (2022). A sustainable circular 3D printing model for recycling metal scrap in the automotive industry. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 33(5), 876-892. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMTM-10-2021-0391
10. Matin, A., Islam, M. R., Wang, X., Huo, H., & Xu, G. (2023). AIoT for sustainable manufacturing: Overview, challenges, and opportunities. Internet of Things, 100901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iot.2023.100901
11. Kazarian, K. (2024). EPA Offers $160M in Grants for Clean Manufacturing of Building Materials. Powder Bulk Solids. [Online]. Available at: https://www.powderbulksolids.com/building-materials/epa-offers-160m-in-grants-for-clean-manufacturing-of-building-materials [Accessed on 4 October, 2024]
12. Glyde, I. (2024). UOW-led Project to Create Cleaner, Greener Stainless Steel Manufacturing Process. University of Wollongong, Australia. [Online]. Available at: https://www.uow.edu.au/media/2024/uow-led-project-to-create-cleaner-greener-stainless-steel-manufacturing-process-.php [Accessed on 4 October, 2024]

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