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STANDARD & LEGISLATION - UCIF Informs
Cleaning Processes Are Now Even More Important Marcello Zinno UCIF – Italian Surface Treatment Equipment Manufacturers’ Association, Milan, Italy
N
info@ucif.net
ow that we are beginning to glimpse the return to normal life,
environmental disasters, extreme weather events, and climate change.
it is time to start to get going and look to the future again. As
In recent years, in fact, there has also been a growing realisation
after all major disasters, a period of great commitment awaits
that sustainable growth brings considerable economic, ethical, and
us in order to regain full control of our lives and our work. Historically,
environmental benefits. The circular economy approach, based on the
it is precisely in moments like these that the most ambitious and best
principle that someone’s waste can become a resource for others, has
projects have come to life: thanks to their spirit of survival, human
begun to take shape. The philosophy behind this new economic model
beings are driven to invest more in the future, using their innate ability
is that objects never reach the end of their life, but they are “reborn”
to internalise and exploit past experiences. Will it be a new Renaissance?
for other uses. This means saving money (e.g. extraction, production,
Certainly, there is an unprecedented factor: for the first time, all states,
and disposal costs), consuming fewer raw materials, and reducing one’s
all governments, all men have had to face and fight the same enemy.
own polluting impact on the environment. It is therefore necessary to
In this global battle, we have realised how important it is to take care
rethink production cycles right from the design stage. The use of smart
of ourselves and clean the surfaces we come into contact with. UCIF
technologies in manufacturing processes is of the essence, as well as
member companies have always dealt with surface treatments and
the production of energy from renewable sources and the large-scale
finishes, for which adequate preparation of the substrate to be treated,
adoption of separate waste collection processes.
including cleaning, is essential. In the last thirty to forty years, great
The question now arises: is it possible to design “environmentally
strides have been made in the industrial cleaning sector in particular.
friendly” industrial plants without sacrificing efficiency? The answer
Increasingly complex and efficient technologies have been applied to
is definitely positive. Our companies have already succeeded in
achieve more and more effective results. At the same time, however,
creating high-performance, environmentally friendly finishing systems
a huge amount of pollutants has been produced, controversial water
and treatments while also meeting the other requirements of their
purification issues have arisen, and enormous quantities of resources
customers. With a view to the circular economy principles, several
have been used. In short, cleaning has definitely improved the quality
manufacturers have started to look for solutions to reduce the amount
and performance levels of products, but it has also had a negative
of processing and energy waste, implement industrial recycling
impact on the environment.
operations, and make new resources available. “Zero discharge” is no
This is no longer tolerable. There is a need to invest more and more in
longer a mirage but an attainable goal.
research and to introduce new treatment and production processes
We can therefore say that it is now possible to clean effectively, without
with an ever-decreasing environmental impact, as it is now recognised
necessarily making the world dirty. Actually, we have found that doing so
that the current economic development model is among the causes of
even provides a significant added value!
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N. 69 - MAY/JUNE 2021 - international PAINT&COATING magazine
