On early 2009, due to environmental pollution, the workshop was warned by the local authority and therefore affecting the contracts with big clients (Honda, Yamaha). That is why, the Company Leaders has been attempting to change technologies and completely apply CP solutions to draw back the clients, change the company image and develop production.
In 2009, the Company has received the financial support from the Ministry of Industry and Trade through the Cleaner Production in Industry Component and technical assistance from Vietnam Cleaner Production Centre to conduct CP Assessment and propose CP options. The Company has established a CP team led by Mr. Hoang Anh Hung - Company Director and 5 members to assess 2 production lines: Zinc plating and Nickel-Chromium plating. The Team has conducted a walk-through assessment on the production line. After identification of waste streams, the Team has conducted mass and energy balances for the whole production line. All collected data have been used to analyse and identify Cleaner Production options for each production steps.
After conducting CPA and identifying improvement options, the Company has carried out 22 no-cost and low-cost options with total budget of VND 32 millions during the period from Nov 2009 to Feb 2010. With the technical and financial assistance from the CPI, the Company has actively implemented 02 high-investment options: changing to Ni-Cr plating on plastics technology and install wastewater electrolysis system to improve the production performance and reduce environmental emissions to the environment and meed the market demand. As a result, in the first quarter of 2011, the Company has received VND 266 millions by reduce material consumption and environmental emissions.
Particular benefits derived from Cleaner Production are as follows:
| Technical benefit | Economic benefit | Environmental benefit |
| Annual reduction of 32.8% raw materials, chemicals consumption | Annual saving of VND 718 millions | Annual reduction of 30,000 m3 wastewater Wastewater and air emissions met the Vietnamese Standard and Technical Regulations |
Typical Cleaner Production options of the Company are as follows:
| No. | CP Option | Investment | Performance | CP technique |
| Zinc plating line | VND 31.9 millions | Annual saving of VND 718 millions | ||
| 1 | Shift to counter-washing mechanism | TC | ||
| 2 | Adjust water tap valves to meet the using requirements | GH | ||
| 3 | Optimize product hanging frame to drain water well | GH | ||
| 4 | Increase the water draining time to higher than 10 seconds (due to manual operation, some workers move the draining frame immediately after hanging) | PC | ||
| 5 | Repair and renew the water collecting spout between two tanks | GH | ||
| Nickel-Chromium plating line | ||||
| 6 | Close the water tapping valve when having a shift break | GH | ||
| 7 | Recycle cooling water | OR | ||
| 8 | Control the solution composition in each tank in line with standard concentrations | PC | ||
| 9 | Increase the recycled plating solutions by condensing the solutions and recover back to the plating tank | OR | ||
| 10 | Repair the air suction equipment | GH | ||
Remarks: GH: Good Housekeeping; PC: Process control; TC: Technology Change; 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.
The 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.
CP not only brings about benefits from energy saving, emission minimization, reduced water consumption, but also helps the Company increase production, improve product quality, prove prestige. The implemented CP options at the Company are typical case studies for enterprises in the sector of electroplating in Vietnam./.
