8 - Inventorization and Environmental Management System

Summary

Public concern over industrial impacts on environment has been increasing, with equal intensity in developed and developing countries. Public pressures have led to a flood of laws and regulations using a prescriptive “command and control” approach to protect the environment. Despite a quarter century of governmental efforts to protect the environment and the notable improvements of some grievously impaired environmental resources, development continues to degrade environment.

In seeking better results, public and private sector sentiments have now been shifting towards supplemental voluntary approaches to moderate environmental impacts. Such voluntary initiatives normally include a systematic effort of inventorization of wastes and adoption of an environment management system (EMS). Environmental considerations have been assuming importance and several industries have already taken up the tasks of inventorization and developing an EMS on a priority basis simply because improvements in environmental performance have been saving resources and manufacturing costs, improving product quality, and productivity.

In this chapter an attempt has been made to highlight the significance of both the tools: the inventorization of wastes and the environment management system. A discussion has been presented on ISO 14000 because; many industries are lately subscribing to such voluntary certification initiatives. A case study of a cigarette industry is presented for proper understanding of the environment management system.

What are “Wastes”?

Classically speaking, every manufacturing or production activity is aimed at value addition and creation of a product or a service that can be consumed.