As part of the UNDP project component Implementation of the green chemistry principles in the industrial sector, the organization CENER 21 side by side with the Faculty of Technology in Banja Luka and the Cleaner Production Centre of Serbia conducted environmental audits in twenty companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The goal of the environmental audits is to assess the possibility of implementing green chemistry principles through the recognition of the possibility of increasing material, economic and energy efficiency, more efficient use of chemicals and reducing the production of waste streams. The focus of the project component is to reduce the consumption of chemicals, especially substances of very high concern (SVHC).

From June – November 2022, members of the project team (team for energy efficiency and team for chemicals) conducted field visits and environmental audits in 20 companies:

  • Prevent Fabrics d.o.o. Visoko
  • Prevent Leather d.o.o. Visoko
  • Eurosjaj d.o.o. Konjic
  • Valbih d.o.o. Konjic
  • Omorika Reciklaža d.o.o. Doboj
  • Colorit d.o.o. Banja Luka
  • Kolektor CCL d.o.o. Laktaši
  • Knežević d.o.o. Banja Luka
  • TT kabeli d.o.o. Široki Brijeg
  • Organika BH d.o.o. Gradiška
  • Emerus d.o.o. Široki Brijeg
  • Nobil d.o.o. Nova Bila
  • Bosnaplast d.o.o., Bosanski Petrovac
  • Alma Ras d.o.o. Visoko
  • TIKT Manufaktura d.o.o. Gradiška
  • Kožara Bugojno d.o.o. Bugojno
  • Prevent Components d.o.o. Goražde
  • Destilacija d.o.o. Teslić
  • Variplast d.o.o. Gračanica
  • Kolektor CCL d.o.o. Srbac

After the conducted audits, the project team prepared 20 reports with a total of 172 proposed measures for implementation of the green chemistry principles. 13 companies have continued the realization and implementation of a total of 34 proposed green chemistry measures:

  • Alma Ras d.o.o. Visoko
  • Prevent Fabrics d.o.o. Visoko
  • Eurosjaj d.o.o. Konjic
  • Valbih d.o.o. Konjic
  • Omorika Reciklaža d.o.o. Doboj
  • Colorit d.o.o. Banja Luka
  • Knežević d.o.o. Banja Luka
  • TT kabeli d.o.o. Široki Brijeg
  • Organika BH d.o.o. Gradiška
  • Emerus d.o.o. Široki Brijeg
  • Kolektor CCL d.o.o. Laktaši
  • Kolektor CCL d.o.o. Srbac
  • Destilacija d.o.o. Teslić

The analysis suggested measures that enable the implementation of the following green chemistry principles. The implementation will result in an increase in efficiency of at least 10% in each selected company, in the form of an annual reduction in material flows (consumption of chemicals, raw materials, energy and/or waste flows) compared to the initial state. These are the twelve key principles:

  1. Waste Prevention
  2. Atom Economy
  3. Less Hazardous Chemical Synthesis
  4. Designing Safer Chemicals
  5. Safer Solvents & Auxiliaries
  6. Design for Energy Efficiency
  7. Use of Renewable Feedstocks
  8. Reduce Derivatives
  9. Catalysis
  10. Design for Degradation
  11. Real Time Pollution Prevention
  12. Safer Chemistry for Accident Prevention

The next task of the project team is the implementation and monitoring of green chemistry measures in 13 companies. As part of this activity, the project team will conduct a field visit, collect relevant data, monitor the implementation status, and identify potential risks and mitigation measures. Monitoring will be carried out until November 2023 in order to ensure the long-term implementation of the proposed green chemistry measures.

The project is financed by Sweden and it is implemented by UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina.