Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and Applications in a PVC Window and Door Production Operation

Abstract

The world keeps getting smaller every day with newly emerging technologies. Due to industrialization, rapid growth in population and excessive energy use, production activities are negatively affecting the environment and natural resources are being used up rapidly. Environmental problems have not only been limited to local borders, but have also taken on a global dimension. Today, as well as providing services and products, operations are expected to respect the environment, take actions regarding the issues of occupational health and safety and carry out social responsibilities. Thus, a lot of operations have formed their own environmental management systems. Environmental Management System (EMS) has come to be known with ISO 14001 all over the world. ISO 14001 generally includes the determination of pollutant effects of an operation, minimization or removal of the effects and keeping track of such processes. In this study, application studies related to ISO 14001 EMS in a large scale PVC window and door production operation in  Konya within a five years of period between 2008-2012 were examined and evaluated. Moreover, this study was intended to present information to other operations in the sector by serving as a guide for ISO 14001 Standard applications.