Cleaner Production and Its Implications for the Elimination of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs): UNEPs Role

30. Cleaner Production and Its Implications for the Elimination of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs): UNEPs Role

by Mr. Leo Heileman

THE NEED TO TAKE IMMEDIATE AND WORLDWIDE MEASURES REGARDING THE FOLLOWING 12 POPs HAS BEEN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED

Pesticides

- aldrin
- chlordane
- DDT
- dieldrin
- endrin
- heptachlor
- toxaphene
- mirex

Industrial Chemicals

- hexachlorobencene (also used as a pesticide)
- PCBs

Unintentional by products

- dioxins
- furanes

CHARACTERISTICS OF POPS:

WIDELY USED;
BIOCONCENTRATE AND ACCUMULATE;
LIPOPHILIC AND SEMI VOLATILE ;
LONG RANGE TRANSPORT IN THE ENVIRONMENT;
LONG PERSISTENCE IN THE ENVIRONMENT;
ADVERSE HUMAN HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS;

UNEP CHEMICALS (GENEVA)

FOCAL POINT OF UNEPs ACTIVITIES IN CHEMICALS;
PROMOTING THE CONTROL, REDUCTION AND EVENTUAL ELIMINATION OF THE USE OF POPS;
THE PRIOR INFORMED CONSENT PROCEDURE (WITH FAO);
PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND INVENTORY OF CHEMICALS;
CHEMICAL DATABASE;

UNEP REGIONAL OFFICE FOR LAC (ROLAC - MEXICO)

REGIONAL DELIVERY OF UNEP´s PROGRAMMES
LEGISLATION;
INDUSTRY/OZONE;
MONITORING;
ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING NETWORK;
ENVIRONMENTAL CITIZEN PROGRAMME;
TIERRAMERICA;
ENERGY/ATMOSPHERE/CLIMATE CHANGE;
BIODIVERSITY/DESERTIFICATION;
CHEMICALS;

UNEP INDUSTRY AND ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME (FRANCE)

CLEANER PRODUCTION
APELL;
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT;
ENERGY;
TOURISM/HOTELS;

OZONACTION

PRIORITY FOCUS OF PROGRAMME:

1. PREVENT RATHER THAN END OF PIPE OR REPAIRING THE DAMAGE CAUSED;

2. CHOOSE THE SECTORS WHICH MOST IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT;

3. LEVERAGE THE ACTIVITIES OF OTHERS.

APPROACH

1. DEFINE CONCEPTS, POLICIES AND TOOLS;

2. CREATE AWARENESS AND BUILD CAPACITY;

3. DEMONSTRATE EFFECTIVENESS AND MONITOR RESULTS;

4. MULTIPLY IMPLEMENTATION.

CLEANER PRODUCTION

CP: A PREVENTIVE STRATEGY THAT PROMOTES THE USE OF CLEANER AND MORE EFFICIENT PROCESSES, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TO REDUCE WASTE AT THE SOURCE
TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS PLUS MANAGEMENT CHANGES
REDUCE THE USE OF TOXIC CHEMICALS
CONSISTENT WITH MANAGEMENT OF POPs
EXAMPLE: PULP BLEACHING

CLEANER PRODUCTION MEANS:

THE CONTINUAL APPLICATION OF AN INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL

PREVENTIVE STRATEGY FOR PROCESSES AND PRODUCTS, WHICH REDUCES RISKS TO LIVING ORGANISMS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

FOR INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES THIS MEANS:

TO CONSERVE NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, ELIMINATING THE USE OF TOXIC SUBSTANCES AND REDUCING THE AMOUNT AND TOXICITY OF ALL EMISSIONS AND WASTE BEFORE THE END OF THE PROCESS

FOR PRODUCTS THIS MEANS:

TO REDUCE IMPACTS THROUGHOUT THEIR ENTIRE LIFE CYCLE, FROM THE EXTRACTION OF RAW MATERIALS TO ITS DISPOSAL

CLEANER PRODUCTION ISSUES

1. GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND REGULATIONS FAVOUR END-OF-PIPE APPROACHES;

2. WELL DEVELOPED END-OF PIPE INFRASTRUCTURE;

3. SMEs ARE HARD TO REACH;

4. BANKS AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE CP CONCEPT.

CP ACTIVITIES IN THE REGION

UNIDO/UNEP/ NATIONAL CLEANER PRODUCTION CENTRES (NCPC): MEXICO (1996), BRAZIL (1996), COSTA RICA (1998), EL SALVADOR (1998), GUATEMALA (1998), NICARAGUA (1998).
GOVERNMENT OF SWITZERLAND & GOVERNMENT OF COLOMBIA: PROJECT TO ESTABLISH A NATIONAL CLEANER PRODUCTION CENTRE IN MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA (1998).
USAID ENVIRONMENT POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECT (EP3): CHILE (TERMINATED IN 1996). NOW THERE ARE PROJECTS IN BOLIVIA, ECUADOR, JAMAICA, MEXICO (JOINTLY WITH THE MEXICAN NCPC), NICARAGUA, PARAGUAY.
GTZ: ESTABLISHMENT OF GOLD/MERCURY AMALGAM RECOVERY PLANTS (TWO) IN COLOMBIA TO RECOVER MERCURY IN THE SMALL SCALE MINING OF MERCURY.
GOVERNMENT OF CHILE: NATIONAL POLICY TOWARDS CLEANER PRODUCTION.
UNIDO/GOVERNMENT OF ARGENTINA: CENTRE IN BAHIA BLANCA, BUENOS AIRES PROVINCE TO PROMOTE CLEANER PRODUCTION IN THE CHEMICAL AND FOOD SECTORS.
WORLD BANK/GOVERNMENT OF ARGENTINA (UNEP INVOLVED IN PROJECT DESIGN): INTRODUCTION OF CP/EMS IN THE CAMPANA/ZARATE INDUSTRIAL AREA AS WELL AS IN SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZE INDUSTRIES IN BUENOS AIRES.
UNEP/GOVERNMENTS OF NICARAGUA AND GUATEMALA: PROJECT ON STRATEGIES AND MECHANISMS FOR PROMOTING CLEANER PRODUCTION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.
PAHO/CEPIS;UNEP: WASTE MINIMIZATION MANUALS.

UNEP INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY CENTRE

IETC's MAIN ROLE IS TO ACT AS A CATALYST IN FACILITATING THE TRANSFER OF ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND TECHNOLOGIES (ESTs) TO ADDRESS URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AND THE MANAGEMENT OF LAKE/RESERVOIR BASINS TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND COUNTRIES WITH ECONOMIES IN TRANSITION.
AT IETC WE PAY SPECIFIC ATTENTION TO URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS WATER SUPPLY, SEWAGE, SOLID WASTE, ENERGY, LOSS OF GREEN AND NATURAL SPACES, URBAN SPRAWL, LAND CONTAMINATION, TRAFFIC, TRANSPORT, AIR POLLUTION AND NOISE.
ITS WORK PLAN REVOLVES AROUND THREE MAIN ISSUES:

1. IMPROVING ACCESS TO INFORMATION ON ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND TECHNOLOGIES.

2. FOSTERING TECHNOLOGY COOPERATION, PARTNERSHIPS AND TRANSFER.

3. CAPACITY BUILDING.

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT (EnTa)

1. EnTa: SYSTEMATIC EXAMINATION OF THE EFFECTS ON SOCIETY FROM A TECHNOLOGY, EMPHASIZING UNINTENDED, INDIRECT, OR DELAYED CONSEQUENCES.

2. USEFUL IN PERMITTING, LICENSING OF INDUSTRY.

3. LINKED TO EIA IN BEST INSTANCES.

4. IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS.

BASEL CONVENTION ON THE CONTROL OF TRANSBOUNDARY MOVEMENTS OF HAZARDOUS WASTES AND THEIR DISPOSAL

THE CONVENTION IS THE RESPONSE OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THE ANNUAL WORLD-WIDE PRODUCTION OF 400 MILLION TONNES OF WASTES WHICH ARE HAZARDOUS TO PEOPLE OR THE ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE THEY ARE TOXIC, POISONOUS, EXPLOSIVE, CORROSIVE, FLAMMABLE, OR INFECTIOUS. THE MAIN PRINCIPLES OF THE BASEL CONVENTION ARE:

1. TRANSBOUNDARY MOVEMENTS OF HAZARDOUS WASTES SHOULD BE REDUCED TO A MINIMUM CONSISTENT WITH THEIR ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND MANAGEMENT.

2. HAZARDOUS WASTES SHOULD BE TREATED AND DISPOSED OF AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THEIR SOURCE OF GENERATION.

3. HAZARDOUS WASTE GENERATION SHOULD BE REDUCED AND MINIMIZED AT SOURCE.

FOUR TRAINING AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTRES ARE PLANNED IN 4 COUNTRIES OF THE REGION: ARGENTINA, URUGUAY, EL SALVADOR AND TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO.

UNEP REGIONAL SEAS UNIT (RCU - JAMAICA)

CARIBBEAN ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMME NETWORK (CEPNET);

SPECIAL PROTECTED AREAS AND WILDLIFE (SPAW);

ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION.

RESPONSE STRATEGIES (LESSONS FOR APPLICATION TO POPs)

1. CLEANER PRODUCTION (NCPC 2>6, ICPIC, NETWORKING, WORKING GROUPS - LEATHER, TEXTILES, BIOTECHNOLOGY, PETROLEUM AND SOLVENTS, METAL FINISHING, PULP AND PAPER, POLICY, EDUCATION, DATA MANAGEMENT);

2. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT ((EnTA) - TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL AND HUMAN IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGIES, TECHNICAL MANUALS);

3. LESSONS FROM THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL (CP, IS, NETWORKING, TRAINING, INFORMATION, RMP);

4. INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY CENTRE - IETC. RESEARCH IN THE DISPOSAL AND INCINERATION OF SOLID WASTE. INCINERATION IS AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF DIOXINS.

BASEL CONVENTION (TRAINING AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTRES).

SURVEY OF SOME POPs IN SOUTH AMERICA

BASED ON THE ANSWERS OF 4 COUNTRIES OF THE REGION

SUBSTANCE

EXPORTS

IMPORTS

	Year	Amount	Year	Amount
Aldrin			1990	104 T
Chlordane			1991	14 T
DDT	1994	no data available	1990	777 T
Dieldrin	1994	0.008 T	1991 1992 1993 1994	2 T 15 T 5 T 3.4 T
Endrin			1991 1992 1993 1994	2 T 15 T 5 T 1T
Heptachlor			1990 1991 1992 1993 1994	228 T 202 T 200 T 26 T 145 T
Hexachlorobencene	1992	0.002 T	1992 1993 1994	3 T 1 T 0.0046 T
PCBs	1994	no data available	1991 1992 1993 1994	5 T 44 T 61 T 28 T
Toxaphene			1990 1994	60,000 L 19.5 T