What is CP Assessment?

Cleaner Production Assessment (CPA) is a systematic tool to identify cleaner production options. Through CPA the three questions below are answered:

• WHERE waste and emissions are generated;
• WHY waste and emissions are generated; and
• HOW waste and emissions can be minimised in you company.

Cleaner production assessment is a useful tool to systematically investigate the existing production and to identify opportunities for improving the production or the products.

Management commitment

A successful cleaner production programme demands a strong commitment from the manager. It requires the direct involvement and supervision, and the seriousness has to be reflected in actions, not only in words.

Operator's involvement

Supervisors and operators should be actively involved right from the beginning of a cleaner production programme. The shop floor staff is of great help in identifying and implementing measures for cleaner production.

Systematic approach

For cleaner production to be effective and sustainable, it is essential to formulate and adopt a systematic approach. Initially, it may be alluring to work on a piecemeal basis as the immediate benefits might be more appealing. However, the interest soon drops if long term sustainable benefits are not realised. Therefore, some extra time and effort is needed to ensure a systematic and organised approach.

How to do CPA?

The cleaner production assessment is divided into the following six steps:

Cleaner production is an ongoing process. Once finished with one cleaner production assessment, the next should be started to improve even more or to continue with another focus area.