ABSTRACT
In many countries, at organizations both large and small, clean production methods encouraged by national environmental agencies, regional conservation groups and university departments are reducing business operating costs, improving profitability, increasing worker safety and reducing negative environmental impacts. For the most part, cleaner production starts with lean production systems. Water often carries two costs. First, the water itself has to be paid for. Second, discarded water accrues expenses because most municipalities compute their sewage fees as a percentage of metered water use. Far from being expensive, most companies are surprised at the cost reductions achievable through the adoption of clean production techniques and the minimal capital expenditure required obtaining worthwhile gains. Clean production requires that every piece of equipment and machinery be inherently efficient before production starts. Whether production requires a photocopier, a million-dollar machine tool, a coffee maker, or a vast configuration of motors and pumps, everything should run on as little energy as possible.
