Objective

Before a filament emits light, it is subjected to a harsh acid bath and cleansed with large quantities of water during the production process. OSRAM has found a way to recycle the rinsing water along with the substances it contains. This is a pioneering breakthrough in environmental protection that also reduces costs.

Solution

When employees talk about the new facilities at the Bruntál plant of the PM&C division, you can hear the pride in their voices - and with good reason! Since September they have seen to it that filaments at the Czech plant are treated with acid without generating wastewater. OSRAM is the only lamp manufacturer with a facility that can fully recycle the rinsing water used to clean filaments. But much more than just the water is recycled. Acids and molybdenum employed during manufacturing can be extracted from the rinsing water and used again. This reduces the amount of freshwater used (and wastewater generated) by up to 100,000 cubic meters a year - or roughly the equivalent of 600,000 full bathtubs.

Environmental expertise

It was 8 years ago that OSRAM succeeded in making the production of lamp filaments much more environmentally friendly. By re-using acid mixtures, the company was able to do away with 180 cubic meters of new acid every year - enough to fill 1,000 bathtubs. Considering the importance of acid in producing filaments, this innovation represents a major breakthrough in environmental protection.

Two birds with one stone

This process is not complete, however, before the rinsing water is recycled. Project supervisor Monika Greczmiel from Corporate Environmental Affairs & Technical Safety says that it is an ingenious way to kill two birds with one stone at the Czech plant: protecting the environment while cutting costs. "The price of fresh water and wastewater would be higher than the costs of recycling the rinsing water."