Solutions for environmental pollution of paper package production industry

Although the paper production industry in general and paper package production industry in particular is considered very potential with increasingly quick growth rate in the country, they are one of the industries causing the most serious environmental pollution, especially water resource, according to the Steering Committee for Clean Water – Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. We can mention some examples such as Dong Do Papa Co., JSC at My Luong Hamlet (My Chuong, Hanoi) which has been denounced recently for its direct discharge of waste water to the internal canal system, causing serious impacts on water resource and agricultural land of local people living near this area.

Therefore, in addition to encouraging, supporting, planning, and orienting long-term development for paper package production industry, the State and current enterprises in the industry have face a big problem in solving and treating waste in the best way to minimize enviromental pollution. 

Impacts of package production industry on living environment

According to environment experts, water discharge of the paper package production industry has a high content of COD (22000-46500 mg/l), exceeding the permitted limits, mostly caused by Lignin and its derivatives. These organic compounds are not only very harmful but also hard to be decomposed in the environment. Therefore, if there are no proper and timely treatments, such chemical compounds can cause serious impacts on the living environment and they are the main cause of cancer for local people living near the production area.

In addition, in the paper molding phase, to make a finished product, production workers often have to use many chemicals and additives such as pine resin, colorants, kaolin, etc. Without recovery or treatment of these compounds before direct discharge to the water resource, pollution is unavoidable and strongly impacts living environment and the ecology of aquatics in our country.

Solutions given by the State

1/ Issuing technical specifications on waste content

Being aware of harmful effects of waste on the living environment, the State has worked with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to issue regulations on maximum waste content to be discharged to the environment. Accordingly, the allowable values for pollution parameters in the paper and paper package production industry discharged to the receipt source are calculated as follows:

Cmax = C × Kq × Kf

In which:

– Cmax is the maximum allowable value for pollution parameter in waste water when discharged to the receipt source.

– C is the value of pollution parameter in waste water of paper production industry in general.

– Kq is the coefficient of the receipt source of waste water as specified in section 2.3 corresponding to the flow of rivers, streams, channels, canals, small irrigation canal; capacity of ponds, lakes, lagoon; and use purposes of inshore water area.

– Kf is the waste source flow coefficient as specified in section 2.4 corresponding to total waste water flow of production units when discharged to the waste water receipt source.

Based on the above calculations, competent authorities will check the waste content at each paper package production plant using sampling method to determine value of such parameters. pH, temperature, BOD5, COD, total suspended solids, color level, and AOX. Any enterprises violating or exceeding the specifications shall be penalized strictly.

2/ Penalty levels and remedies

Regarding penalties applied to industries in general and paper package production industry in particular, according to Article 13 of the Law on Environmental Protection, if waste water discharge level exceeds the specified level less than twice, enterprises shall be penalized 1 million to 700 million VND; 10 million to 750 million VND for 2 to less than 5 times of discharge; 20 million to 950 million VND for 5 times of discharge or more.

In addition, the penalty shall be increased by 1% for violations of each environmental parameter exceeding the technical specifications less than twice; 2% for 02 to less than 05 times; 3% for 05 to less than 10 times; and 4% for 10 times or more. Total penalty on each violation shall not exceed 1,000,000,000 VND.

In addition, the Law also specifies remedies for enterprises, in particular:

– The enterprises have to implement remedies for environmental pollution within the time specified by the competent individual or agency according to the administrative violation penalization decision.

– The enterprises have to return the illegal interests that they get from administrative violations as specified in this Article.

– The enterprises have to pay fees for collecting opinions, appraising, measuring, and analyzing environmental samples in case of violations in waste discharge exceeding the environmental specifications.

In addition to issuing specifications and regulations on penalties, to limit harmful effects on the environment caused by the paper and paper package production industry, the State also needs to manage strictly technology and equipment used by the plants and frequently check the waste water treatment procedures to ensure all enterprises comply with the specifications.

We can be sure that, with above solutions, the paper production industry in our country will soon fulfill objectives and orientations set by the State, i.e. becoming one of the eco-friendly industries and contributing to stimulating other industries’ development.

By Marketing Department – Kizuna JV Corporation