Environmental and Energy Management in a Textile Dyeing and Finishing Factory

Transcription

1 Asia-Pacific Environmental Innovation Strategies (APEIS) Research on Innovative and Strategic Policy Options (RISPO) Good Practices Inventory Environmental and Energy Management in a Textile Dyeing and Finishing Factory Summary of the Practice Keywords: Cleaner technology, environmental management system, energy conservation, textiles Strategy: Improving environmental performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) Environmental Areas: Waste management, climate change Critical Instruments: Awareness/capacity building, Organisational arrangement, Partnerships, Self-regulation, Technologies Country: Thailand Location: Samutprakarn Participants: Department of Industrial Promotion, Department of Industrial Works, Textile Institute, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation, Japan Textile Finishers Association, Sinsaenee Company Limited, TLV International Inc. Duration: 1997 present Funding: Self-funding and supports from international donors through project implementing agencies Background: Established in 1977, Sinsaenee Company Limited is a textile manufacturer producing dyed and finished knitted cotton, with a registered capital of 13.2 million baht and employing 120 employees. The company is located in Samutprakarn, a province in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. The annual production capacity of the factory is 312 tonnes of knitted cotton and 1,560 tonnes of dyed and finished knitted cotton. Source: Sinsaenee Co., Ltd. The majority of its products are sold to local traders for export. Production processes include knitting as well as dyeing and a finishing process in which large amounts of water and energy are required, along with various chemicals such as dyes, detergents, sequestering agents, and formic acid. This all becomes an environmental concern, because of high energy consumption and wastewater containing hazardous chemicals. Objectives: Sinsaenee Company has adopted an ongoing improvement programme to boost its environmental and energy performance as a means of increasing production efficiency. Description of the activity: The factory has continuously improved its environmental and energy performance by implementing cleaner technology (CT) and a better environmental management system (EMS) in the production process, as described below. 1

2 Cleaner technology implementation Introduction of cleaner technology In the first stage, the company participated in a project called Promotion of Cleaner Technology in Thailand, implemented by the Thailand Environment Institute (TEI) with support from the Danish Cooperation for Environment and Development (DANCED) and Federal of Thai Industries (FTI). The project focused on water and energy conservation options for implementation in the initial stages, as follows: replacing worn out pipes; installing steam piping insulation; enhancing boiler efficiency; and implementing simple good housekeeping practices such as installing water meters, level controllers, and flow control nozzles. Source: Tittaya Waranusantikule, TEI Standardisation of color-matching procedures. The company participated in the Research Cooperation Project on Dyeing and Finishing Industries in Thailand by Technology of Cleaner Production, supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO), Japan, and the Department of Industrial Promotion (DIP). The project aims to eliminate the re-dyeing process by improving working procedures for staff and using computerised matching devices. Accurately matching colours is vitally important to the quality of products. In the project s implementation, an expert from Kurabo Industry Company, Japan, conducted a short-term study to identify opportunities for improvement in the working procedures of laboratory staff. It was found that the quality of the colour-matching process was mainly based on staff experience. It was also found that factors affecting the end-result of matching, such as temperature and Source: Tittaya Waranusantikule, TEI water volume, were not properly controlled, which led to errors in colour matching. Consequently, standardised working procedures, such as measuring instrument selection and solution preparation, were introduced to ensure more accurate colour matching. In order to improve working procedures, laboratory staff were trained on how to achieve uniform colour mixtures. Working conditions were also carefully controlled; a highly sensitive weightmeasuring device was moved to an air-conditioned room to avoid disturbances from electric fans, and a computerised colour-matching device was installed in order to enhance matching efficiency. Boiler and steam trap retrofit Steam is one of the necessary results of the heat transfer process. The factory periodically conducts an energy audit and benchmarking to monitor inefficiencies in the process. Consequently, top management decided to participate in the Steam System Project in order to improve energy efficiency in the steam generating and recovery system. This development by Sinsaenee Company was selected as a pilot project for steam trap installation. The steam trap is an automatic valve that catches and releases condensate into the piping systems, thus preventing the release of steam and ventilating air into the system. Source: Tittaya Waranusantikule, TEI 2

3 Environmental management system EMS for SMEs The company has benefited from improvements in their environmental and energy efforts through various activities. The management team decided to establish an environmental and energy research and development department to be the focal point for issues concerning environmental and energy improvement. Establishment of this new department marked the first step in the development of an environmental and energy management system. Because the company eventually wanted to achieve ISO standards of certification, it decided to join the EMS for SMEs project implemented by the Department of Industrial Works (DIW) and supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft Für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ). The project assists companies in establishing an environmental management system (EMS) at the factory level so that they can gradually improve their system until it can attain ISO standards. Through this project, the company established its own environmental policy, set objectives and targets, as well as establishing an environmental management plan. These are prerequisite items for the first phase. The company successfully passed the criteria and was granted the right to use the EMS for SMEs (Phase I) symbol from the DIW. Currently, the company has moved into the second phase, which is also the last stage of project implementation focusing on the activities identified during Phase I. Critical Instruments Overview Improvements in production efficiency in Sinsaenee Company are the result of the following instruments. Awareness/capacity-building Developing capacity-building schemes for staff at every level Awareness/capacity-building is one of the significant factors contributing to better environmental performance at Sinsaenee Company. It was a critical issue not only for staff involved in the CT and EMS implementation but was also an important one for those at the operations level. The project staff learned concepts of resource efficiency through CT and EMS implementation, while operational staff developed more efficient working procedures. Organisational arrangements Establishing environmental and energy research and development departments As the company gradually improved its performance through various coordinated projects, top management realised the necessity of setting up an environmental and energy research and development department to undertake tasks involving the desired changes. The new department acts as a focal point for environmental and energy activities in the factory. This is a significant milestone in developing environmental and energy management systems. Partnerships Cooperation of local governmental agencies and international organisations The project is under the collaborative framework of various organisations. There were three main actors involved: the local agency, the international supporter, and the company itself. This kind of joint initiative encourages knowledge and the transfer of technology to SMEs. 3

4 Self-regulation The need for improvement in auditing and benchmarking The principal motivation for the company to develop cleaner production methods is the reduction of costs associated with inefficiencies within their operation. Upper management was able to reduce these costs through energy auditing and benchmarking. These are effective tools for an organisation to monitor the actual performance of their company, to recognize inefficiencies, discover where there is room for improvement, and finally be able to improve performance. Technologies Installation of automatic equipment to improve efficiency Retrofit of the boiler system played an important role in improving the energy efficiency of the factory, eliminating steam release, and improving efficiency of their equipment. The improved technology provided a great opportunity for the factory to reduce heat loss due to the release of steam and the accumulation of condensate in the piping system. Moreover, in the colour-matching processes, a computerised colour-matching device was installed to enhance speed and accuracy, resulting in fewer defects and increased customer satisfaction. Introduction of these new technologies assisted the company in improving its performance. Impacts The company developed an environmental and energy management system as a management tool and a fundamental framework for the company to move toward better production efficiency. They can thus recognise problems and inefficiencies, and subsequently, they set up a continuing improvement program. Implementation of cleaner technology resulted in cost reductions. For example, the boiler and steam trap retrofit led to a 20 percent reduction in fuel oil consumption. Cleaner technology practices also help in increasing customer satisfaction due to better quality of product and services. For example, the colour-matching process can now be completed within two to three days, whereas it used to require ten to fifteen days. Personnel involved in establishing environmental and energy management systems have consistently developed the knowledge and skills necessary for implementation of resource energy efficiency. In addition, operational staff have also developed better working procedures in order to eliminate waste and reduce losses in the production process. Sinsaenee Company can be used as a demonstration model for steam trap retrofit adaptations so that interested parties in other factories could benefit by adopting this technology. Lessons Learned A strong commitment from upper management is vitally important for improving efficiency in manufacturing enterprises. In this case, the managing director played a key role in promoting organisational changes, which then stimulated employees to actively participate in implementation. An environmental and energy management system is an effective instrument for continuing improvements, because it provides the basic tools for systematic monitoring of performance. Performance improvement is a continuous learning process in which returns from previous adaptations could be incentives that reinforce further developments and better efficiency. Improving environmental and energy performance can be seen as a means of increasing resource efficiency, leading to cost reductions and higher profits. Accordingly, the 4

5 financial return on investments should be presented as a motivation for SMEs to improve their operations. Potential for Application Cleaner technology (CT) practices encourage waste reduction and greater resource efficiency. CT implementation thus provides both environmental and economic returns. It is economically feasible for SMEs to adopt CT implementation, particularly in practices that require low investment with a short payback period. Continuing improvements in efficiency at Sinsaenee Company are an on-going objective within the factory. This highlights the commitment of upper management as a significant factor for success. Technical knowledge is extremely important for practices that require technology changes. Therefore, the availability of technology and the ability to transfer that knowledge are crucial issues to be considered. Contact Sinsaenee Company Limited 190 Moo 1 Suksawad Road Prasamutchedi Samutprakarn Thailand Tel: (662) Fax: (662) tuta@ji-net.com Case reviewer: Tittaya Waranusantikule, Research Associate, Thailand Environment Institute (TEI), tittaya@tei.or.th Information date: 29 September