Environmental Protection at Wooden Chairs Company - Essay Example

Briefing Paper on Environmental Emissions and Wastes of the Wooden Chairs Company Executive Summary The purpose of this briefing paper was to design a programme for environmental protection and reduction of wastes in the company producing wooden chairs. The need for the programme is to reduce wastes and environmental problems caused by the production of wooden chairs. The programme suggests four methods of environmental protection and waste reduction. The first method is complying with standards, certifications and labeling wooden furniture industry in order to achieve improved environmental performance. Secondly, life cycle assessment should be used to reduce environmental impacts of each stage of the lifecycle of wooden chairs. Thirdly, pollution prevention mechanism is adopted to reduce air, water and soil pollution caused by wastes and gas emissions from the production of chairs. Lastly, recycling is used to put wastes into use and minimize wastes. In terms of implementation, the briefing paper suggests the formation of a five-member committee to oversee the implementation of the programme through planning, monitoring and evaluation. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 1.Introduction 4 2.Overview of Environmental Emissions and Wastes 5 3.Environmental Protection and Recycling Program 8 3.1.Compliance to Certifications, Quality Standards and Labeling 8 Standards 9 Certification 9 Labeling 10 Costs and Benefits 10 3.2.Life Cycle Assessment 11 3.3.Pollution Prevention Mechanisms 12 Use Improved Adhesives Gluing Operations 12 Efficient Utilization of Aerosol Cans 13 Dust Collection 14 3.4.Recycling 14 4.The Impact and Key Milestones of Implementation 15 4.1.How the Programme Affects the Business 15 4.2.Implementation of the Programme 16 5.Conclusion 17 References list 18 1. Introduction Wooden furniture production industries play significant roles in the process of development in tropical countries with abundant sources of wood and timber. Wooden furniture industries contribute economic benefits and enhance economic growth in such countries (International Trade Centre and International Tropical Timber Organization, 2005). Wood-processing companies such as companies producing wooden chairs create employment and expand the tax base of the country. They also promote the development of physical and institutional infrastructure needed for social and economic development of tropical countries. Furthermore, wooden chairs producers provide foreign exchange earnings and encourage investment in support industries. However, there are various challenges that wooden furniture producers need to consider in their business. This briefing paper will address one of the challenges affecting the company producing wooden chairs – environmental or social impact. Any organisation engaged in the production of goods using natural resources needs to consider environmental or social issues in order to enhance environmental and social sustainability for a sustainable development (International Trade Centre and International Tropical Timber Organization 2005). In this period when climate change is becoming real, human life is directly and indirectly affected. Therefore, companies producing furniture need to develop mechanisms that may be used to conserve natural resources and prevent the emission of gases. This will conserve energy and protect the environment from the effects of climate change. Companies need to make efforts of certification, verification, quality assurance, environmental performance, and social accountability. There are various environmental and social issues that affect the producers of wooden chairs. This briefing paper focuses on the impacts of environmental emissions and waste (GHG emissions, effluent and waste) in the company producing wooden chairs. The impact of the above issues on the environment depends on the weight of manufacturing operations of the company. Therefore, the company’s process flow and value chain should be able to measure its production capacity and the likely environmental impact it may cause (Pluschke, 2004). The level of technological use also affects the amount of environmental problems caused by the production of wooden chairs in the company. Absence or insufficiency of preventive mechanisms at the workplace causes serious impacts on factory workers from emissions produced by various operations of the company. Furthermore, surrounding environments may be affected in various ways. 2. Overview of Environmental Emissions and Wastes In order to protect the environment and enhance environmental sustainability, the wooden chairs manufacturer needs to reduce emissions, effluents and wastes. One of the ways that this can be done is through recycling. Protection of the environment promotes utilization of wood because timber is becoming a scarce resource at this time when countries are trying to balance between environmental conservation and production of wooden furniture for human consumption and derivation of economic benefits. Some of the environmental hazards caused by the production of wooden chairs include GHG and emissions depleting the ozone layer, trade and solid waste, toxic chemicals, etc (Pluschke, 2004. During the production of wooden chairs toxic chemicals and substances such as VOCs, treatments, finishes and chemical residues in water usually affect the local communities, workers, air, water and land. These emissions also deplete the ozone layer and cause water and air pollution, which makes the environment unsustainable for human habitation. As a result, the company producing wooden chairs needs to have an effective environmental management mechanism which will ensure that resources are utilized efficiently while at the same time protecting the environment from unsustainable impacts of wooden chair production. The supply chain process involved in the production of wooden chairs from the acquisition of timber products to the distribution of finished products to consumers often involve significant environmental impacts through emissions and wastage of resources. The supply chain, distribution, and transportation of workers to and from the production sites often contribute to GHG emissions and other pollutants which affect the surrounding environment and quality of air negatively. The production process involved in the production of wooden chairs also leads to the release of non-degradable waste such as chemical, metals and plastics; hence leading to environmental degradation. Operation of dryers also leads to the release of Green House Gas emissions. Solid wastes from production of wooden chairs such as chemicals and treated products also lead to contaminated water, soil and air. All these environmental pollutants from the production of wood chairs result from the preservatives used to protect wooden chairs from fungus, weathering and insects. Therefore, Coating, painting and waterproofing of wooden chairs have significant impacts on the environment. Gordic et al (2014) suggest that environmental concerns of wood-based furniture are comprised of air pollution from VOCs, other particulates, and mainly sawdust. Water pollution that results from used solvents such as paint and other finishing and maintenance materials are also a major environmental issue of great concern in the world. Lastly, Gordic et al (2014) argue that environmental effects from furniture production may result from solid wastes such as adhesives, resin particles and wooden chips. The main types of wastes from the manufacture of wooden chairs are wood wastes which are usually used products. The end result of these wastes is burning or biological degradation, which leads to the release of carbon dioxide and other green house gas emissions. During burning and biological degradation of the wooden wastes, energy is usually used. Energy consumption has environmental impact because it causes greenhouse effect and climate change. Energy conservation through renewable sources (e.g. recycling) is therefore necessary to protect the environment (Pluschke, 2004). Another negative environmental impact of the company producing wooden chairs is landfill. This happens when waste products from production of wood chairs are disposed in landfills. Landfills lead to wastage of natural land which could be used in other economic activities. Manufacturing of wooden chairs also affects the conservation of natural forests which are needed to attract rain and encourage natural habitation of wildlife (Eshun et al 2010). Tree cover in the natural forests also provides natural beauty and attraction for tourism and recreation. As a result of these benefits of forests, it is important to conserve them. However, manufacturing of wooden chairs affects the sustainability lifecycle of wood-based products; leading to negative impacts on the forest (Eshun et al 2010). For instance, wooden-chair production uses raw materials in form of timber which is obtained from forests. This influences natural processes of the ecosystem, such as altering plant species and families as well as age structure of trees. Use of fossil fuels for extraction of timber in forests and other wood-based operations also leads to emission of gases which pollute the air and affect the growth of trees. Lastly, use of land and soil in the life-cycle of wooden chairs also cause land, soil and water pollution in the forests and the overall environment. 3. Environmental Protection and Recycling Program The problem with implementation of environmental protection and recycling measures is that wood manufacturers often lack accounting evidence on the amount of wastes generated by their operations. Therefore, expensive measures need to be implemented in order to improve environmental performance without direct financial benefits for the company. Despite there being no direct benefits of protecting the environment, wooden furniture manufacturers have often been obligated by strict environmental regulations to develop environmental management and good attitude towards the environment. A responsible corporate behaviour is required for manufacturers of wooden chairs to achieve environmental sustainability and enhance good corporate image and credibility with consumers and other stakeholders. The following are key elements of improvement that should be used in the organisation to enhance effective environmental protection and recycling, and reduce the environmental emissions and wastes from the production and distribution of wooden chairs in the company. 3.1. Compliance to Certifications, Quality Standards and Labeling The first step that company needs to consider is to review its environmental policies, compliance to legislation requirements, certifications, standards, and labeling. Since the company producing wooden chairs is operating in the UK, the company needs to implement environmental management schemes (EMAS) that comply with UK environmental policies and EU legislations for furniture regarding certification, quality and labeling in order to improve its environmental performance. Standards Standards provided by the EU legislations provide test mechanisms, requirements for end products, gas emission levels, and terminology use. The company should take all these standards throughout the lifecycle of its wooden chairs in order to reduce environmental effects. The wooden chairs manufactured by the company should be standardized in order to ensure that all the company’s chairs in the market are safe to use and are strong. Certification In terms of certification, environmental management bodies across the world usually require wooden furniture-producing companies to acquire relevant environmental and forest certifications in order to comply and enhance environmental protection. The company producing wooden chairs should acquire as many certifications as possible. Certifications require the company to achieve various attributes. One of the attributes needed for the company to be certified is to use safe materials for human health and the environment. Certifications also require the company to design products and systems that provide room for reutilization, composting and recycling of materials used in production of wooden chairs. The main type of certification that should be sought by the company is forest certification. This certifies that the company is carrying out activities that protect the natural forests where raw materials are obtained. The company should also obtain the chain-of-custody certification or wood tracking certification which offers a sequence of ownership from one operation to another within the supply chain. The wood tracking system should be implemented as a single comprehensive system that follows all phases from forest operations to the distribution of final products (Lopes & de 2014). Another certification is the corporate social responsibility certification which resolves the issue of companies undermining human rights. The certification ensures that the company observes corporate social responsibility towards the community and the environment by producing environment-friendly chairs. Labeling Labeling is an important process that leads to certification. A company is often certified for its labels. The company producing wooden chairs should label its products with information about the country of origin, materials used, type of product, and the kind of finishing applied. The furniture should then be marked with the recommended mark of quality in the country. The environmental performance of the company should also be certified and labeled using the Eco-labeling method (Ratnasingam et al 2009). In this case, the company should follow all the criteria of environmental performance and seek an eco-label award from an impartial third party. In Europe, the Eco-label is represented by a flower. In order to get the eco-label, the wooden chairs of the company should not release formaldehyde to a certain level. Costs and Benefits The cost of standards, labeling and certification is that they may cause constraints to access in the market. Furthermore, the standards, labeling and certification may become difficult to attain due to stringent requirements. One of the benefits of standards, labeling and certification is that they enhance a common language for test methods, safety and quality for the company (Ratnasingam et al, 2009). The three processes also enhance higher environmental performance because they ensure that the company works hard to protect the environment and reduce wastes in order to meet the standards required for labeling and certification. 3.2. Life Cycle Assessment This is an analytical tool used to examine the potential environmental impact of the product throughout all the stages of its life cycle from the time raw materials are obtained in the forest to the time the finished product is sold to the customer (Yeang, 2008). In this analysis, the company should begin by assessing the raw materials and their processing. The company should asses the timber, solvents such as paints, and other raw materials to determine their level of gas emissions and potential of producing waste or degrading the environment. Considerations should also be put on the energy utilization at this stage. The next step is manufacturing. At this stage, the company should assess the amount of energy consumption, possibility of wastes and emission of gases during the production process (Yeang, 2008). Drying in painting and coating may use heat, so the company should asses the utilization of energy quite keenly at this stage. Improvement in the manufacturing process should then be improved if high levels of gases are emitted or wastes are caused. The third stage that requires an assessment for environmental performance is the packaging and distribution stage. The company should consider whether the packaging and distribution of manufactured wooden chairs are environmentally friendly. Packaging should consist of biodegradable and reusable materials (European Commission 2013). If there are potential causes of poor environmental performance, changes should be recommended and implemented effectively. In terms of costs and benefits, this activity can be quite costly for the company in terms of resources. Assessment in all stages of the lifecycle requires staff in each stage of the lifecycle to participate in the assessment. This means that human resources, time and financial resources will be invested in the lifecycle assessment. The benefits of this method are that the company is able to identify areas of weakness and strengths as the product goes through all its stages of the lifecycle. Changes can be initiated and implemented before the project goes to the next level; hence the process is effective in achieving environmental performance achievement. 3.3. Pollution Prevention Mechanisms Pollution is one of the main environmental impacts of producing wooden chairs. It includes water pollution, air pollution, and soil pollution. The company producing them should therefore develop appropriate mechanisms to minimize them. Some of the materials and products that cause pollution include adhesives and gluing operations, aerosol cans and sawdust. Some of the pollution prevention measures that should be used in the wood chair company include: improving adhesives and gluing operations, dust collection, and efficient utilization of aerosol cans. Use Improved Adhesives Gluing Operations When producing wooden chairs, glues are used to assemble the parts. These solvents are known as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). They play a part in the production of ozone which causes smog and health problems to people (Missouri Department of Natural Resources 2006). Hazardous Air Pollutants also result from these solvents. Waste adhesives and its cleanups used in production of wooden chairs also results in hazardous wastes. In order to prevent pollution, hazardous wastes and air pollutants from adhesives and other solvents should be reduced (Haggar, 2007). The first step of reducing this form of pollution is by assessing the gluing operations of the company to determine if they have been mixed in the right proportion to avoid wastes. The right amounts of glue and adhesives should also be purchased to avoid wastes. If possible, the company may also switch to low or no solvent adhesives. Furthermore, the company should keep glue containers closed at all times to prevent escape of vapors. Regular maintenance and calibration of glue applications should also be carried out in order to allow proper transfer of glue and avoid its loss. Efficient Utilization of Aerosol Cans The company producing wooden chairs may use aerosol cans in several ways. These cans may produce hazardous gases such as toluene. Managing aerosol wastes is an essential way of protecting the environment. The first step of managing aerosol cans is by deciding whether the cans are actually needed. If it is not needed the current stock should be used up or disposed of and purchasing of more aerosol cans should be stopped (Missouri Department of Natural Resources 2006). However, if the aerosol cans are needed, its use should be limited and the company should use cans without hazardous chemicals. If possible, the company should switch to non-aerosol products in the manufacture of wooden chairs. Lastly, only the needed amount of aerosols should be purchased to avoid wastes. Dust Collection One of the most known pollutants released through the production of wooden chairs is sawdust. Proper disposal, control, storage and treatment of this waste are an essential way of protecting the environment. The company should develop a dust collection system to reduce air emissions, collect recycled sawdust for other uses, increase efficiency, and keep contaminants out of the dust (Missouri Department of Natural Resources 2006). Dust collection system begins with an identification of appropriate outlets or purchasers of wood dust as alternatives of landfill disposal. Dust collection systems should be monitored and inspected regularly to avoid unnecessary environmental impacts. 3.4. Recycling In order to avoid the environmental impacts of wastes from the lifecycle of wooden chairs and reduce wastes, the company should recycle or reuse waste products such as wood dust, wood, wood fiber and other wood by-products. Apart from protecting the environment, recycling also saves money and resources (Cheremisinoff et al, 2008). Recycling wastes is also an important way of preventing pollution which could be caused by the wastes if disposed in landfills. There are various ways that the company can reuse or recycle various wastes and by-products of wooden chairs production. For instance, contaminated solvents such as paints, aerosols and glue can be processed using recovery units in order to recover them for reuse. This reduces the amount of hazardous wastes. Wood dust is also another product of wood chair manufacturing that can be recycled (Haggar, 2007). In this case, dust is captured using dust collection systems and recycled. This is an important way of turning waste dust into economic use. Apart from protecting the environment, the recycling process also saves money. Saw dust can be reused for animal bedding, composting, production of particle board, laminates, and molded products. Hardwood dust may also be used in pulp and paper mills. 4. The Impact and Key Milestones of Implementation 4.1. How the Programme Affects the Business Implementation of environmental management system is needed in the company in order to curb the impacts of operations of the company on the environment. The environment needs to be preserved and pollution should be minimized in order to achieve a sustainable environment and economic growth. Environmental protection and recycling should be implemented in the light of existing legislations and in consistency with the changing environmental needs. They should also lead to effective control and reduced pollution and its impacts on the environment. The above environmental problems often result from the use of raw materials and energy during production. Therefore, environmental protection and recycling practices should target the raw materials and energy in production. This programme also affects the business negatively. First, implementing this programme costs money and resources. Money is needed to pay more human efforts in carrying out some of the environment-protection and waste reduction activities. Furthermore, money is also incurred in implementing environmental policies to meet the certification, legislations and standards of environmental regulatory bodies (Yeang, 2008. Secondly, time spent in recycling, pollution prevention efforts, and other environment protection methods could be used in other productive ways. This results in opportunity cost. Human efforts may also be redirected from the main course of production to environmental protection, and this may lead to reduced productivity of the staff. However, if the environment protection programme is managed, monitored and evaluated effectively, then the company will benefit from environmental protection as much as the community does. 4.2. Implementation of the Programme This programme can be implemented successfully by forming an Environmental Programme Implementation Committee (EPIC) which will oversee all the implementation processes. In the committee, there should be one director and four members. Each of the four members should lead the implementation of each of the environment protection and waste reduction methods – Compliance with Certification, Quality Standards and Labeling; Life Cycle Assessment; Pollution Prevention; and Recycling. This committee should formulate environmental policies to implement this programme and draw a plan of implementation. Monitoring and evaluation should also be an ongoing process in the implementation of the programme. In this case, each member should review the progress of his/her assigned method of environmental protection or waste production. Whenever there are things going against projected plan and policy of the committee, the member should mention them in meetings held by the committee regularly to assess the progress of the programme. Where there is need for intervention by the company’s management, the committee director should communicate it to the executive directors of the company. 5. Conclusion Production of wooden chairs is always associated with environmental problems such as air pollution, soil pollution and water pollution; hence affecting human health and environmental sustainability. For instance, solvents such as aerosols and paints used in finishing of wooden chairs often result in wastes that can contaminate water. Furthermore, wooden dust may release carbon dioxide gas and other green house gases which deplete the ozone layer and cause air pollutions. Landfills from wood wastes may also result in soil pollution and land degradation. Therefore, the company producing wooden chairs should engage in environmental protection and waste reduction programme that involves Certification, Quality Standards and Labeling; Life Cycle Assessment; Pollution Prevention; and Recycling. These methods of environmental production are implemented by a five-member committee which ensures that the benefits of environmental sustainability, cost reduction, utilization of resources and reduction of wastes are achieved. References list Cheremisinoff, N. P., Rosenfeld, P.E., & Davletshin, A.R. 2008. Responsible care: A new strategy for pollution prevention and waste reduction through environmental management. Houston, Tex: Gulf Pub. Co. Eshun, J.F., Potting, J., & Leemans, R. 2010. Sustainability of Forestry and Timber Industry in Ghana, International Forestry Review, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 383-395. European Commission. 2013. Wooden Furniture, European Union, Sevilla. Gordić, D., Babić, M, Jelić, D., Konćalović, D. and Vukašinović, D. 2014. “Integrating Energy and Environmental Management in Wood Furniture Industry,” The Scientific World Journal, vol. 2014, doi:10.1155/2014/596958 Haggar, S. 2007. Sustainable industrial design and waste management: Cradle-to-cradle for sustainable development, Amsterdam: Elsevier Academic Press. International Trade Centre and International Tropical Timber Organization 2005. International Wooden Furniture Markets: A review. ITC, Geneva. Lopes, C.S.D., & de, A.P.S. 2014. Environmental requirements for furniture industry: the case study of Brazilian Southeast industry, Environment, Development and Sustainability: a Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, vol. 16, no. 5, pp. 1013-1029. Missouri Department of Natural Resources 2006. Preventing Pollution in Wood Furniture Manufacturing: A Guide to Environmental Compliance and Pollution Prevention for Wood Furniture Manufacturers in Missouri. Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Jefferson City, MO. Pluschke, P. 2004. Air Pollution: Indoor Air Pollution, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Berlin, Heidelberg. Ratnasingam, J., Wagner, K., & Albakshi, S.R. 2009. “The impact of ISO 14001 on production management practices: A survey of malaysian wooden furniture manufacturers”, Journal of Applied Sciences, vol. 9, no. 22, pp. 4081-4085. Yeang, K. 2008. Ecodesign: A manual for ecological design, Wiley, Hoboken, N.J. Read More