Green Factory

Core Practices for Sustainable Development in Manufacturing

Green factory refers to a modern manufacturing enterprise that achieves land intensification, harmless raw materials, clean production, waste resource utilization, and low-carbon energy through systematic optimization. Its core goal is to reduce resource consumption and environmental pollution throughout the entire lifecycle, and promote industrial green transformation and upgrading.         
1. Land intensification
By optimizing the layout of the factory area, improving space utilization, and reducing land resource waste. For example, a certain electronic materials company in Guangdong has significantly improved land use efficiency through intelligent warehousing systems (WMS) and automated logistics (AGV).         
        
2. Harmless treatment of raw materials
Prioritize the use of environmentally friendly materials and reduce the use of toxic and harmful substances. Enterprises in Alxa High tech Zone have achieved zero discharge of industrial wastewater and prevention and control of chlorine gas leakage risks through technological transformation.         
        
3. Production cleanliness and purification
Adopting clean process technology to reduce the generation of pollutants from the source. Inner Mongolia Ruida Taifeng Chemical has reduced energy consumption and pollution to an advanced level in the industry through zero pole distance sub membrane electrolysis cell technology.         
        
4. Waste resource utilization
Establish a recycling system to convert waste into resources. Typical cases include waste heat recovery for power generation, industrial wastewater regeneration and utilization, etc.         
        
5. Low carbonization of energy
Promote renewable energy sources (such as photovoltaics and wind energy) and energy-saving technologies. Guangdong Yinghua Electronic Materials generates 5.13 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 3300 tons through a 4.65-megawatt photovoltaic system.         

1. Clean energy system
Adopting technologies such as photovoltaic power generation, waste heat recovery, and energy storage peak shaving to achieve energy structure optimization. For example, a certain automobile factory generates 28 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually through rooftop photovoltaic, accounting for 30% of the total electricity consumption of the factory; The industrial waste heat recovery system can reduce natural gas consumption by more than 15%.

2. Low carbon process flow
Based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method, reconstruct the production process:
Raw material substitution: using low-carbon materials such as biobased materials and recycled metals;
Process optimization: Reduce material loss through 3D printing or apply supercritical CO2 dyeing technology to reduce printing and dyeing water consumption;
Equipment upgrade: Adopt high-efficiency equipment such as IE4 or above energy-efficient motors and magnetic levitation compressors.

3. Resource Recycling Network
Build a dual system of "microcirculation" within the factory and "large circulation" in the region:
The reuse rate of wastewater through membrane treatment has been increased to 85%;
100% resource utilization of waste residue through building materials and metal extraction;
Form a resource sharing network with surrounding enterprises for steam, recycled plastics, and other resources.

4. Digital Carbon Management System
Rely on the industrial Internet platform, integrate energy monitoring (EMS), carbon footprint accounting and AI prediction model, track carbon emission intensity (tCO2e/10000 yuan output value) in real time, and achieve dynamic optimization.

（I.） Evaluation criteria
1. National standards
General Principles for Evaluation of Green Factories (GB/T 36132-2018)
Guidelines for the Implementation of Green Manufacturing System
Industry specific evaluation standards (such as "Evaluation Requirements for Green Steel Plants" and "Evaluation Guidelines for Green Chemical Industrial Parks")
2. Policy documents
Work Plan for Creating Green Factories by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology
14th Five Year Plan for Industrial Green Development
        
（II.） Evaluation index system (core categories and weights)
1. Evaluation indicators
According to the General Principles for Evaluation of Green Factories (GB/T 36132), the evaluation system covers six categories: infrastructure, management system, energy and resource input, products, environmental emissions, and performance, with a total of 25 secondary indicators and a total score of 100 points. Among them, "performance" accounts for 30%, with a focus on assessing key data such as energy consumption and emissions.              

Note 1: Green factories must meet all mandatory requirements, and optional requirements are taken from 0 to full marks based on the satisfaction level of the evaluated factory.
Note 2: For factories that meet the "Green Factory Industry Standard List", please design this table according to the standards in the list.

（I.） Basic requirements
• Enterprise type
The applicant is a manufacturing enterprise (non commercial and service enterprises), with priority given to supporting key industries such as machinery, electronics, chemicals, building materials, food, etc.
The enterprise has been established and operating normally for more than 3 years, and there have been no production abnormalities caused by shutdown or relocation within the year before the application.

• Compliance requirements
Environmental compliance: Obtained a pollutant discharge permit, completed environmental impact assessment acceptance, and had no major environmental penalties or pollution incidents in the past 3 years.
Safety compliance: certified by safety production standardization, with no major or above production safety accidents.
Quality compliance: The product quality meets national standards and there have been no major quality complaints or recalls in the past 3 years.

• Management system
At least two certifications must be obtained:
ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System)
ISO 50001 (Energy Management System)
ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System)
Establish a medium - to long-term plan and implementation plan for the construction of green factories.

（II.） Other necessary conditions
• Third party evaluation report
An evaluation report must be issued by a third-party organization recognized by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to confirm that the enterprise meets the green factory standards.

• Additional conditions for local policies
Provincial differences: Some regions have higher requirements for indicators such as energy consumption and carbon emission intensity (such as the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta).

• Priority support:
Enterprises included in the list of "specialized, refined, unique and new" and "high-tech enterprises".
Enterprises participating in carbon trading and conducting carbon footprint verification.

• Dynamic management commitment
Enterprises need to commit to continuously improving their green performance, accept regular spot checks, and voluntarily withdraw if they do not meet the standards.

1. Standard understanding and implementation difficulty
The certification of green factories involves multiple national standards such as the General Principles for the Evaluation of Green Factories (GB/T 36132-2018), covering five core elements: land intensification, low-carbon energy, and waste resource utilization. Enterprises need to deeply understand and implement complex environmental protection, energy efficiency, and management system requirements, such as energy audits, environmental emission indicators, etc.

2. High cost of technology and equipment upgrades
To meet the requirements of clean production and low-carbon energy, enterprises need to renovate or upgrade existing equipment, such as introducing photovoltaic energy storage systems, intelligent energy efficiency monitoring equipment (FEMS), etc., with high initial investment costs.

3. Complexity of data collection and management
A large amount of data on energy consumption, pollutant emissions, waste disposal, etc. must be provided, and the data must be accurate and complete. For example, it is necessary to submit a pollutant emission monitoring report (issued by a CMA qualified laboratory) and an energy audit report for the past year, which places high demands on the data monitoring system of the enterprise.

4. Establishment and maintenance of management system
It is necessary to improve environmental management (ISO 14001), energy management (ISO 50001) and other systems, and pass third-party audits. Some enterprises have become common non conformities in audits due to inadequate management systems or inadequate implementation.

5. Continuous improvement pressure
Certification is not a one-time solution and requires regular supervision and auditing, as well as continuous optimization of production processes and reduction of carbon emissions. For example, it is necessary to develop an annual creation plan and promote technological innovation to cope with increasingly strict environmental regulations.

1. Policy dividends
Financial reward: National level green factories can receive a subsidy of up to one million yuan, with some regions (such as Inner Mongolia) providing a special support of 500000 yuan.
Operational optimization: Enjoy environmental exemptions (such as relaxed winter production restrictions), tax incentives, and green credit support.
Brand value-added: Winning the evaluation can enhance market competitiveness, especially in terms of advantages in bidding and international supply chain.

2. Cost effectiveness
Energy conservation and consumption reduction: Through technologies such as waste heat recovery and intelligent monitoring, enterprises can achieve an average annual energy savings of over 1.5 million kWh, significantly reducing production costs.
Circular economy: Recycling waste resources can reduce processing costs while creating additional benefits. For example, the Italian Green Factory project achieves energy self-sufficiency and community sharing through the production of solar trackers.

With the deepening of the "dual carbon" target, green factories will upgrade to zero carbon factories. Enterprises need to focus on:

• Technological innovation: such as hydrogen substitution and the application of carbon capture technology;
• Digital empowerment: Utilizing AI and big data to optimize energy efficiency management;
• Industrial chain collaboration: Promote the integration of upstream and downstream green supply chains.

List of core materials to be provided

1. Basic qualification documents
• Business license, production license/CCC certificate (if applicable).
• Proof of land use rights or factory lease contracts to ensure compliance of production sites.

2. Environmental and energy management documents
• Environmental Impact Assessment Approval and Acceptance Report, Pollutant Discharge Permit 8.
• Pollutant emission monitoring report (issued by CMA qualified laboratory), energy audit report, and list of key energy consuming equipment in the past year.

3. Management system certification documents
• ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and ISO 50001 Energy Management System Certification.
• Clean production audit report and safety production management system documents.

4. Technical documents and implementation certificates
• Factory floor plan, production process flowchart, equipment list (including pollutant treatment equipment).
• Energy saving and emission reduction technology description and on-site photos (such as waste heat utilization, water circulation system).

5. Third party evaluation and compliance statement
• Green Factory Self Evaluation Report and Third Party Evaluation Report issued by third-party organizations.
• Declaration of no major safety and environmental pollution accidents in the past three years (provided based on actual time if established for less than three years)

The declaration process for green factories involves multiple steps, which need to be prepared based on policy requirements and the actual situation of the enterprise. The following is a detailed processing procedure and key precautions: