Vinh Tien Limited Company is established in 2003. At present, the Company has a factory to process exporting coconut candy on the area of 7000 m2 at in Phu Tan precinct, Ben Tre city, Ben Tre province. The company had 230 employees and the main product is coconut candy for export with main markets of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and America.
Before conducting CP, environmental pollution by water and air pollution is serious problem in Vinh Tien Limited Company. The company’s wastewater exceeded the limit of TCVN 5945-2005 several times (COD (2180mg/l) was exceeded 27.2 times, BOD (857mg/l) was exceeded 10.7 times, coliform was exceeded 116 times. The company’s emission is mainly from combustion processes for heating for cooking and concentrated of coconut milk. The amount of wood large enough to use so CO and SO2 concentration is high, exceeding 4.5 times and 1.75 times respectively compared with National standard. For solving these problems, in 2008, the company received the support from the Ministry of Industry and Trade via the Cleaner Production in Industry Component (CPI) to conduct Cleaner Production Assessment and Application
Under the supporting of Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Company had implemented CP assessment. During the first phase (from August 2009 to January 2010), the company established a CP team led by Ms. Dang Thi Truc Lan Chi –Director of the company and other 7 members to assess the whole production line. After the Cleaner production assessment (CPA) and identification of waste line, the Team has conducted mass and energy balances for the whole production line. All collected data have been used to analyze and identify Cleaner Production options for each production step.
After conducting CPA and identifying improvement options, the Company has carried out some no-cost and low-cost good housekeeping options with a total budget of VND 169 millions. Such application has brought about VND 456 millions in 2009 and VND 526 millions in 2010. In the phase 2 (from February 2010 to November 2010), the Company has actively implemented high-investment options to improve the product quality and solve completely the environmental issues at place and received 1,4 billion VND from CPI’s support for technology change by changing to 3-step reverse washing to save water, using mechanic mixing and condensing system with indirect heat supply with steam to reduce wood consumption, reducing waste and improving working condition for workers, using automatic grinding and pressing technology with frequency controllers in close system, using screw processing to recover coconut milk, improving wastewater treatment system to ensure that treated water to meet the Vietnam’s discharge standard. Benefits from those solutions are 526 million dong in 2010 and 500 million dong in the first quarter in 2011 by reducing raw material consumption, chemical and environmental treatment cost.
Particular benefits derived from Cleaner Production are as follows:
| Technical benefit | Economic benefit | Environmental benefit |
| Phase 1 | ||
| Reduction of 4.7% material and chemicals consumption | Saving of 456 million dong | Markedly improved working environmental conditions |
| Phase 2 | ||
| Reduction of 12.9% material and chemicals consumption (in 2010) | Saving of 526 million dong | Wastewater after treatment to meet environmental standards Improved factory surrounding environment |
| Reduction of 13.8% material and chemicals consumption (in 1st quarter of 2011) | Saving of 500 million dong | |
Typical Cleaner Production options of the Company are as follows::
| No. | CP Option | Investment | Performance | CP technique |
| 1 | Make contracts with coco meat suppliers with conditions of: impurities control (soil, sand mixed in material) before purchasing, regulated impurities rate | No investment cost | Improve product quality and reduce material consumption | GH |
| 2 | Remove part of impurities on coco meat before putting in washing tank | Low investment cost | GH | |
| 3 | Install water meters at production points | 0,6 million dong | Control rate of water consumption | GH |
| 4 | Replace auto water valves in the whole workshop | 2 million dong | EM | |
| 5 | Replace the electric wires system | 70 million dong | Reduce 48.000 kWh/year | GH |
| 6 | Replace the electric breakers by auto electric box with security automatic circuit breakers | 48 million dong | EM | |
| 7 | Invest in bigger washing tank with stainless steel material | 2 million dong | Improve product quality and ensure safety for workers | EM |
| 8 | Replace the basin by the lid-covered basin | 2 million dong | EM | |
| 9 | Separate the packaging area and the condensing area | 20 million dong | GH | |
| 10 | Disinfect products by ultraviolet rays | 5 million dong | PC | |
| 11 | Equip the labor uniform to ensure food hygiene | 20 million dong | GH |
Remarks: GH: Good Housekeeping; EC: Equipment Change; PC: Process Control, OR: Onsite Recovery
Perceiving the benefits from CP application, the company insisted to maintain the CP team activities and integrate CP in the general management system at place. In order to facilitate CP application, a simple environmental management system has been developed. The Company has also set up environmental policy, whereby it is requested that the environmental protection law and other regulations should be followed strictly, ensuring the sustainable development of the company and reducing waste emission sources. The Company has integrated process management system with the environmental management system, therefore, energy and material consumption is monitored at the same time with the monitoring of pollutant parameters in the waste streams. A sample system and legal procedures are built and applied for environment data collection, checking, classification and data analysis.
An environmental monitoring plan has been initiated. The aim of the plan is to monitor significant improvements from applying CP or to adjust if there is any reduction in environmental benefits. Environment monitoring system includes monitoring air quality and wastewater.
CP not only brings about benefits from energy saving, emission minimization, reduced water consumption, but also helps the Company increase production, improve product quality, and prove prestige. The implemented CP options at the Company are a typical case study for enterprises in the sector of coconut processing in Vietnam./.