2008-CP-14-S2

At a glance

Recycling of Process water with Heat

Recovery

The main aim of the project was to carry out

a process water recycling trial using
membrane technology with the aim of
significantly
reducing
our
water
consumption.
The company were able to successfully
recycle the process wastewater to the
desired water quality standard.
The successful outcome of this project for
OLM was the installation of an over ground
rainwater harvesting system. Three 10, 000
litre tanks were installed and are now used
to feed 22 toilets within our facility.
The companys consumption of
municipal mains water will be
reduced by approximately 11%.
The payback on the installation of
this system is 3 3.5 years.
Cost savings of nearly 4,000 are
expected.
Involvement with CGPP helps OLM
illustrate to all our stakeholders
our ongoing commitment to
sustainable development within
the company.

Organic Lens Manufacturing

Essidev S.A.
Gort Road Industrial Estate
Ennis, Co. Clare, Ireland.

Organic Lens Manufacturing (OLM) a

branch of Essilor International is a
leading manufacturer of plastic
ophthalmic lenses for the European
market. The company is strongly
committed to the concept of
sustainable development and is
attempting through the CGPP to
decouple business expansion from
resource consumption. OLM currently
employs 320 people over 3 shifts 5 days
per week.
Aims of this project
The CGPP project at OLM had 3
principal aims:
1.
2.
3.

Photo 1: Rainwater Harvesting Installation

at OLM.

Process wastewater recycling

with heat recovery
Reuse of RO concentrate
To assess the feasibility of
installing a rainwater
harvesting system

Project description
The initial phase of the project focussed
on using membrane technology to recycle
process wastewater from a washing
process at OLM. This project faced a
number of challenges. The concentrate
had high sulphate content and in order to
comply with IPPC licence requirements,
the company could not discharge the
concentrate to sewer. A viable cost
effective solution to deal with the waste
concentrate generated from the recycling
process could not be found. Barriers such
as membrane lifetime and recycling
efficiencies could not be resolved. Other
companies may however find this
technology viable as the general principle
of this project is transferable.
When creating RO water for every litre of
mains water fed into the unit only 50% of
RO water is generated. The other 50%
goes to drain as a wastewater stream. If
OLM identified a use for RO concentrate
wastewater stream within another
process it would add to the water savings.
Trials were carried out to determine if the
RO concentrate could be used in the hot
water curing vats without impacting on
quality. The trials proved successful. This
process would have been relatively easy
and cost efficient to implement.
However, due to a change in our
manufacturing strategy this phase of the
project did not go ahead.
OLM have successfully installed 3 x
10,000 litres rainwater harvesting tanks
as a result of CGPP funding.
The rainwater is harvested from
approximately one third of our roof area
and will supply 22 toilets within the
facility. Rainwater coming from the roof
passes through a self cleaning filter
before entering the tanks. The debris is
caught by overflow from the sump in the
filter and goes to drain.

An overflow system within the tanks

allows finer debris to be carried out of
the system and prevents the tanks
bursting pressure. Other Essilor facilities
will assess the feasibility of installing a
rainwater harvesting system.
Outcomes
The
main
environmental
benefit
associated with the rainwater harvesting
system is that OLM will no longer be
using mains water treated to drinking
water standard to flush toilets.
The mains water production will be
3
reduced by 1349m /month which is
approximately 11% of the total water
usage. OLM have calculated that the
company should have a payback of 3 -3.5
years from the installation of the
rainwater harvesting system, based on
EPA grant assistance.
Summary Costs & Payback for the
Rainwater Harvesting System at OLM
Total Cost of
System
CGPP Grant
Cost of water
saving/year
Payback

22,455
8,478
4,463

The visual panel associated with the

equipment displays information in an
easily understood format
Once OLM install monitoring metres
on the system the company will gain a
greater understanding of the non
process water consumption.
Such a system is easily replicable in
other manufacturing & service
industries
Involvement with CGPP helps OLM
illustrate to all our stakeholders our
ongoing commitment to sustainable
development within the company

Lessons learned
One of the main lessons learned was that
even though the main part of the project,
namely the process water recycling did not
succeed, it was still an invaluable
experience for OLM to participate in this
project.
The potential for replication in any other
large industry for the rain water harvesting
system is enormous. As water costs
increases in the future potential savings
will increase. This project illustrates
installation of a rainwater harvesting
system in an existing company doesnt
create huge disturbance from ground
works on the site. The technology is simple
to install and use and is easily maintained

The Cleaner Greener Production

Programme (CGPP) of the EPA is funded
under the National Development Plan
2007-2013. The CGPP was launched in
2001 as a grant scheme to fund Irish
organisations to implement cleaner
greener practices while achieving
significant cost savings.
Cleaner Greener Production is the
application of integrated preventive
environmental strategies to processes,
products and services to increase overall
efficiency and reduce risks to humans
and the environment.
Production processes: conserving raw
materials and energy, eliminating toxic
raw materials, and reducing the
quantity and toxicity of all emissions
and wastes
Products: reducing negative impacts
along the life cycle of a product, from
raw materials extraction to its ultimate
disposal.
Services: incorporating environmental
concerns into designing and delivering
services.
The programme aims are focussed on
avoiding and preventing adverse
environmental impact rather than
treating or cleaning up afterwards. This
approach brings better economic and
environmental efficiency.

3 3.5 years*

*based on EPA CGPP Grant

Going forward OLM will achieve cost
efficiencies due to reduction in municipal
water consumption.
A water savings of approximately 11%
per annum will translate into a cost
savings of nearly 4,000 per annum.
A number of other benefits of the
rainwater harvesting system include:
The over ground rainwater harvesting
system is low maintenance and is easily
accessible for any maintenance required.
The system switches to mains water
supply easily should the storage tanks
run low.

More information
Christine Kelly
Organic Lens Manufacturing
Gort Road Industrial Estate
Ennis
Co Clare
Email: kellyc@essilor.ie
Tel: 00 353 (0)65 689 5726
Fax : 00353 (0)65 684 0304

The CGPP is funded by the EPA STRIVE

and NWPP programmes

Additional case studies from companies

that participated in CGPP are available on
our website (www.cleanerproduction.ie),
including:
A full technical report for each project
Programme brochures, summarising
all projects funded under CGPP
More information on CGPP is available
from the EPA:
Lisa Sheils
Environmental Protection Agency,
Richview, Clonskeagh,
Dublin 14, Ireland
Tel: +353 (0)1 2680100
http://www.epa.ie/researchandeducation/research