The "Polish CP Movement" Society
ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT IN WOOD INDUSTRY
IN POLAND
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About the project
The project has been initiated and financed by the Danish Agency for Trade and Industry. It is realized by leading Danish consulting company – Carl Bro a/s, in collaboration with Danish Technological Institute (responsible for Cleaner Technologies) and the “Polish Cleaner Production Movement” Society, as a local coordinator. The project is also supported by the Royal Danish Embassy in Poland, which has an advisory role, and is interested in co-operation between Danish and Polish companies.
The
main aim of the project is to increase the environmental awareness of Polish
enterprises and introduce environmental management to the Polish Wood Industry.
As a result, the industry’s environmental performance and competitiveness shall
be improved. Although EMS is still quite new approach in Poland, the
enterprises are aware that EMS will enable them to control environmental
problems and enhance competitiveness of their products.
The project itself consists of four phases:
1) introduction
(see progress report)
2) environmental
review and action plans (see progress report)
3) implementation
of EMS (see progress report)
4) dissemination of information
(see
progress report)
In
phase two 10 companies introduce EMS and in phase three 4 of these companies
implement a full EMS according to ISO 14001 and / or EMAS.
The selected companies carry out the main part of the work themselves, but during the whole process a group of experienced Danish and Polish consultants are available with tools and inspiration to help the companies stay on the track and ensure steady progress. A number of seminars is being held in order to provide the companies with EMS tools and the theoretic background for the work. Between the seminars the consultants give the companies ad hoc consultancy advice.
The
project started on 1 January 2001 and will be completed in the end of 2002.
Currently the
phase 3 is realized in.
(regularly updated)
Phase 1
Status: completed
The
introductory phase of the project was concluded in March 2001 as planned. The
aim was to inform selected stakeholders in the Polish wood industry and select
companies to host an EMS project.
An introductory conference on environmental management was held in Warsaw, Forum Hotel on March 26. Finally 10 companies signed in for phase two.
Phase 2
-
environmental
review and action plans
Status: completed
The companies chosen for the phase 2 were:
Bieszczadzkie Zaklady Przemyslu
Drzewnego – chair producer
Fabryka
Mebli AiB – chair producer
FURNEL
o/Hajnowka – furniture and floor producer
Stolarka
Wolomin SA – window, door and floor producer
STOLWEX
– window producer
Zaklady
Drzewne TiS – window producer
Tartak
WITKOWSCY – saw mill
WITAR
– Tartak Tyble – saw mill
WITAR
– Tartak Pniewy – saw mill
Zaklady Przemyslu Meblarskiego
MEBLEX – chipboard furniture producer
The
chosen companies were different
in terms of size, product line and products. They were in general very committed
to the work and shown a great motivation for participating.
The
following activities have been carried out at each company:
Demand
Analysis – why EMS and what is most important for the company?
Preparation
of Environmental Policy
Environmental
review and assessments of important environmental aspects
Seminar on environmental review
First
workshop in the project was held on 26th of April 2001 in Lodz.
During the seminar tools and templates for planning and environmental review
were presented and handed out to participants. All companies have used these
templates to document the results of their demand analysis and initial
environmental review. The prepared material has been translated into English and
in June the consultants visited all 10 companies. Based on the mentioned
material and visits, consultants have prepared 10 visit reports, including
recommendations for the future environmental work. 4 companies were selected to
the 3rd phase of the project.
Phase 3
- implementation
of EMS
Status: on-going
The
following companies have been selected to join phase 3 – implementation of a
full EMS according to ISO 14001 / EMAS.
Stolaraka
Wolomin SA – window, door and floor producer
Bieszczadzkie Zaklady Przemyslu
Drzewnego – chair producer
Tartak WITKOWSCY – saw mill
WITAR
– Tartak Tyble – saw mill
Seminar on EMS implementation planning
The first training seminar in phase 3 was successfully
held in Wolomin on September 4. Consultants gave the participants an
overview of the activities to be carried out in each company during the coming
year in order to implement a full EMS and some overall ideas on common obstacles
during an EMS implementation and how to avoid them.
After the seminar, the energy specialist and the EMS
specialist from Carl Bro paid a 1-day visit to each company, focusing on energy
review and possible improvements. For each company the energy specialist has
prepared a small report with recommendations on energy issues.
Seminar on environmental goals, targets and action plans
On
14th of November 2001 next workshop was successfully held in Zaleze
Wielkie near Wielun. It concerned formulation of environmental goals, targets
and building activities related to their realization. Directly after the seminar,
Polish and Danish consultants carried out work visits at the companies. They
discussed results that are reached up to now.
Seminar on EMS description
Meeting
on the EMS description took place on 15th of January 2002 in
Katowice. Presentations included among others: contents of environmental book,
information on “strategic level” (system scope, responsibility scope, and so
on) and subsequent levels including procedures and related instructions. The companies were to think over the
organization of their systems – what
should be included in the Environmental Handbook, who should write the
procedures and the instructions, how the operational control procedures will be
built, a.s.o.
After
obtaining the first versions required procedures and preliminary consultations
by phone, Polish consultants visited all 4 companies.
What next
Within this half of the year the companies are making the system description with all needed procedures and instructions, with assistance of consultants from Carl Bro a/s and Polish Cleaner Production Centre. First of all companies will elaborate strategic level of environmental handbook and then particular procedures, instructions and records according to established time schedule, excluding audits and management review. The last mentioned topics will be started during the seminar – in June 2002.
Phase 4 - information activities
Status: on-going through the whole project life cycle
This phase covers dissemination of knowledge about environmental management and the project results within the Polish wood industry, branch organizations, authorities, a.s.o. by publishing printed materials and organizing a conference summing the project up.
Newsletters and articles
One of the activities in the phase is publishing 4 project information bulletins. Two published until now bulletins one can download (in MS Word 2000 format) by clicking the icons below:
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Study trip to Denmark
In order to physically bring potential Danish - Polish industrial partners together and in order to transfer experience directly from Danish wood/furniture companies to Polish a 1-week study trip to Denmark to visit Danish companies was set up for 2 representatives from each of the 4 Polish companies participating in phase 3 of the project.
Reports
Progress reports are being prepared regularly. Also the final project report will be issued.
Environmental product declarations
To introduce the product-oriented approach to EMS and strengthen the documentation in the product chain a simple environmental declaration will be prepared for one or two key products of each or the companies in phase 3. The products are now primarily chosen.
