This work originates from the need to deepen the environmental management systems (SGA) in the Cuban sugar industry and the search for methodological alternatives to implement them. Its objective is to propose a strategy for environmental management in the sugar industry, while raising the environmental culture of all personnel in this industry.
The work demonstrates the validity of the proposed strategy, that its use in the company Melanio Hernández allowed defining the most important aspects to improve its environmental management such as: it was possible to determine which are the areas of greatest environmental impact in the company and to propose environmental indexes to evaluate to support the environmental management system; It was possible to define the short-term environmental strategy with defined objectives and concrete actions to improve the current environmental situation of the company and ensure the implementation of SGA in the future, while improving the environmental culture of all workers.
Introduction
The impetuous growth of contemporary society, conditioned by the high level of technical scientific development, is associated with increasing damage to the environmental conditions in which man has adapted to live. Today it can be assured that as a result of human action, the chemical and physical composition of our atmosphere is being modified, introducing transformations that can vary the current climate, not only locally but also on a global scale.
These modifications are also reflected in the rapid deterioration of the materials and in varying degrees of damage to the environment and human health.
Although at a global level, company managers increasingly incorporate the environmental variable into the management process to minimize impacts and, in turn, this variable becomes an instrument for managing and optimizing processes, in Cuba this variable is It is taken into account by employers, but above all to avoid losses to the company due to sanctions from other entities related to environmental damage, however, the use of this variable integrated coherently into management processes is not yet widespread in Cuban industries.
Specifically, the sugar industry continues to be one of those that causes the greatest negative impact on the environment, since it is where the greenhouse gas emissions come together, high residual emissions with a high chemical and biochemical demand for oxygen, as well as a high incidence on the ground, given by the production and harvesting methods of the cane. When reviewing the bibliography on the subject of environmental management in the Cuban sugar industry, it can be seen that despite the existence of ISO 14000 and other standards for corporate environmental management, the implementation of environmental management systems in this industry is little reported, as well as the mechanisms to implement these environmental management systems.
Materials and methods
The environmental management strategy is based on a methodological alternative which consists of four fundamental parts that are:
- Initial motivational activities of senior management and factory personnel in relation to the issue of environmental management. A documentary analysis and evaluation of the environmental and community impact of emissions caused by the company's productive activity. Identification, classification and evaluation of the main environmental elements of the company's productive activity, based on work with human resources and based on the IHOBE guide for the implementation of environmental management systems. Proposal for an initial environmental strategy that includes the main objectives to work for the company as a previous step to the implementation of an environmental management system.
The methods applied were as follows:
- study of the region under analysis (started from December 2004 to April 2005), with direct observation of the processes of production of raw sugar and its derivatives. Surveys of workers, senior management and experts to determine knowledge in environmental matter and the areas of greatest incidence in the emission of waste to the environment, characterization of the environmental indicators of the company and its environment, both external and internal, to determine the aspects that most affect the environment and the effects they cause. SWOT, used to determine the objectives and the environmental strategy to be followed in the company.
Results
The results of the survey applied to Experts, showed that 100% of them believed that air pollution is a causative agent of pathologies and that in the analyzed territory they have a high incidence.
Meanwhile, 65% of them consider that the probability that these diseases correlate with air pollution in the town of Tuinucú is high, and the rest estimate that it is very high, corroborating the results of the surveys applied to the population and the need to act on business management methods.
In summary, the study of the existing documentation and the evaluation of the reported results allowed obtaining many elements of motivation and analysis to promote and structure the environmental management mechanisms in the company, managing to define on the one hand why it is of great importance to improve the current environmental management and the other one of the elements to consider in any strategy to minimize environmental impact.
- 100% consider that sugar production influences the environment. 64% consider regulating the environmental situation and 36% consider it bad. 64% consider current management mechanisms adequate. 100% consider it necessary to establish a strategy to Management 64% consider that there are valid methods or procedures to establish an environmental management strategy.
It can be summarized that when applying the surveys to workers and experts, a high concordance was achieved between both groups, also finding the most significant environmental aspects in the emissions of gases, bagasse and residuals; at the same time, it is possible to interpret that the most perceptible environmental effects by the population are associated with the permanence of ambient bagasse, unpleasant odors and respiratory diseases; therefore these elements should not be lost sight of when acting on the environmental management of the company.
Identification of the most significant environmental aspects of the company.
To carry out this activity, the inputs and outputs are defined for each type of process according to the initial diagnosis, with the aim of identifying environmental aspects according to the IHOBE guide.
Table 1: In each area, the raw material that enters and the output of the indicators that most influence it must be identified. Area: Industry
Table 2: In each area, identify the raw material that enters and the output of the indicators that most influence it. Area: Derivatives
According to the analysis of the input and output tables (initial diagnosis), it is concluded that the areas that most affect the environment are the following:
Industry
- Tandem area or mills. Steam and electricity generation area. Crystallization area. Centrifugation area.
The impacts that most affect the input of the process is water consumption (according to the revised bibliography, the sugar industry consumes the most water in its process) and electric energy, while at the output the impacts that most affect are the emissions, noise pollution and risks.
Using this method, it is considered appropriate to recommend that work be done to establish indicators to be used in the process of environmental management and improvement in the case of the factory under study in the aspects of:
- Water consumption index. Residual emissions index. BOD and COD index of residuals. Electricity generation and consumption index. Gaseous emissions index. Noise pollution and risks.
Derivatives
- Fermenter area Distillation column area
So it is determined that the impacts that most affect the entry is the consumption of raw and auxiliary materials and the risks at the exit. In the derivatives area, it is proposed to assess the consumption of raw and auxiliary materials as indicators at the entrance of the process, as well as the risks at the exit, where the latter coincides with the industry area.
To make the proposal for the company's environmental management strategy, three work sessions were held with a group of 20 company staff members, most of whom were process technicians, management personnel, and workers with responsibilities within the company; With this group a brainstorm was carried out to define the SWOT matrix and in the subsequent sessions the most important elements of the strategy that were finally proposed to the management of the company were analyzed.
SWOT matrix
| goals | Strengths1 Human rec. Experience.2 Infraest. resid. liq. Sun. Gas. 3 Tradic. I thought. environmental.4 Infraest. address existing.
5 Existence of laboratories (internal) 1 2 3 4 5 |
Weaknesses1 Financial Problems2 Lack of capacit. educ. amb.3 lack required. amb. management4 Not optim. residual use.
5 Lack of hygiene process (internal) 1 2 3 4 5 |
| Opportunities1 Exist. safe market, demand deriv. and products2 Geographical situation favorable, permanence MINAZ.3 Possibilities projects institu. Cuban and foreign4 CITMA and University Advice
5 Environmental legislation exists (external) |
Potentials X XXX 4X X 2
XXXX 4 XXXX 4 XXXX 4 (18) 5 2 3 5 3 |
ChallengesX 1X 1
XXX 3 XX 2 XXXX 4 (eleven) 4 3 3 1 |
| Threats1 Deterioration prod. cane and loss of imp. bow. sugar factory.2 High cost of raw materials and materials.3 Lack of compliance with environmental standards. and microorganisms.4 Need to import technologies.
5 Migration of personnel to other sectors. (external) |
Risks X X 2
XXX 3 XX 2 (7) 2 1 3 1 |
Limitations X XX 3X X 2
XXXX 4 XX 2 XX 2 (13) 4 2 1 4 2 |
| Total | 7 3 3 8 4 | 8 5 4 5 2 |
Selected elements of the SWOT matrix
Strengths
1. Existing management infrastructure. (8)
2. Experienced human resources. (7)
3. Existence of laboratories. (4)
Weaknesses
1. Financial Problems. (8)
2. Lack of environmental training and education. (5)
3. No optimization in the use of residuals. (5)
Opportunities
1. Existing environmental legislation in the country. (8)
2. Possibilities of obtaining financing for projects with Cuban and foreign institutions. (7)
3. Possibilities of receiving advice from CITMA and the University. (6)
Threats
1. Lack of demand from customers and suppliers on compliance with environmental and microorganism standards. (7)
2. Deterioration in sugarcane production and loss of importance of the national sugar industry. (5)
3. Migration of personnel to other sectors. (4)
Proposed strategy for the environmental management of the company.
General strategic problem for the environmental management of the company extracted from the SWOT matrix analysis.
If the lack of demand from customers and suppliers on compliance with environmental and microorganism regulations is exacerbated, as well as the deterioration of sugarcane production and the loss of importance of the national sugar industry, and the existing financial problems in the united company intensify Due to the lack of environmental training and education, this will result in the fact that the opportunity offered by the existing environmental legislation in the country and the possibilities of obtaining financing for projects that enhance the existing management infrastructure and the experience of human resources, based on the environmental results of the company.
General strategic solution for the environmental management of the company.
Work through environmental training and education processes, which make it possible to take better advantage of the possibilities offered by the existing environmental legislation in the country and the possibilities of obtaining financing for projects with Cuban and foreign institutions and thus minimize the lack of demand from customers and suppliers on compliance with environmental regulations, as well as the deterioration of sugarcane production and the loss of importance of the national sugar industry, while strengthening the existing management infrastructure in the company and the experience of human resources to implement an integrated system of environmental management in the company.
Main strategic objective for the environmental management of the company
Establish an environmental management system in the company, based on the training of human resources for a better interpretation of environmental problems, of the existing legislation in the country and greater preparation to access the financing available for projects in Cuban and foreign institutions., which makes it possible to create mechanisms for evaluation and systematic environmental control based on the existing management infrastructure, the experience of human resources and the capacities of laboratories to continuously improve comprehensive results and reduce the environmental impacts caused by the production.
Main Master Strategy for Environmental Management:
Integrated environmental management system to minimize impacts.
Objective: Implement an environmental management system that enables the continuous improvement of the results in this area, to achieve territorial recognition by minimizing the negative environmental effects that the company causes, through a high level of environmental training and education in Management panels, technicians and operating personnel, with an emphasis on the study of the environmental effects of production in the company, ways to minimize these effects and the management and direction of development projects with an environmental focus.
Conclusions and recommendations
- An environmental management strategy is proposed to implement SGA in the sugar company ´Melanio Hernández¨, based on the improvement of current results and the definition of short-term actions to this end. It was achieved, using the proposed methodological alternative, define a short-term environmental strategy with defined objectives and concrete actions to improve the company's current environmental situation and ensure the implementation of SGA in the future. Applying the environmental management strategy to the Melanio Hernández factory allowed defining the most important aspects to consider to improve their environmental management today.
Bibliography
- Castellanos, JA and other authors; The problem of water consumption in the sugar industry. University of Cienfuegos. Cuba. 2002. CITMA Resolution No. 27/00. General methodological elements for the environmental diagnosis of industries. National Environmental Strategy CITMA (Ministry of Science, Technologies and environment). Reprint (September 1999) Print design. Energy Information Center. Republic of Cuba. Environmental Law 81 of 11/7/99 or Marco Contreras Moya Law… M; Environmental Pollution in the sugar industry in Villa Clara Centro Azúcar Magazine of the UCLV. Cuba. ½ 2003. January _ March González Novo, T and García Díaz, I: Cuba, its environment after half a millennium Scientific and Technical Ed. Havana 210 pages.1998. Ibáñez, B.Environmental Management Systems Manual based on the UNE EN ISO 14001/96 standard of the company, IHOBE, SA, consists of 16 elements - pag year 2000. Guide to Environmental Indicators for the company; IHOBE, Public Society for Environmental Management. Federal Ministry for the Environment, Bonn. Federal Environmental Agency, Berlin. Ziegler, M. et al.; Local Agenda 21 and Municipal Environmental Management. Eidos consult, KATE, 41 Page, year 2002.
