According to the United Nations (UN), soil pollution is ‘jeopardising’ life on Earth, and the manufacturing sector is one of the top contributors globally. However, manufacturers face significant challenges in effectively addressing soil pollution due to the complexity of contamination sources, technically demanding and costly remediation processes, and ensuring operational efficiency at the same time.
Soil pollution manifests differently across manufacturing sectors, contributing to the soil problem in various ways. In the textile segment, the fast-fashion oversupply problem leads to harmful chemical release into soil pollution, as unsold garments often end up in landfills, as reported by the Guardian. In electronics manufacturing, the improper dumping of unsafe materials like lead and mercury during production can lead to soil contamination. For chemical manufacturing, discharging untreated wastewater polluted with heavy metals and volatile organic compounds can destroy soil conditions.
Ultimately, the release of pollutants, such as solvents, dyes, and heavy metals, can live on in the soil for decades, endlessly impacting soil quality and posing a long-term threat to the environment.
The situation is so dire that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has warned that the rapid deterioration of soils could lead to 90 per cent of the Earth’s land surface being degraded by 2050. The risks to biodiversity and human life are substantial, underscoring the crucial role of manufacturers in ensuring their business operations have minimal soil impact.
The problem of soil pollution in numbers
Various reports indicate that without immediate activity, the state of our soil will worsen. Since 2000, UN findings uncovered that the production of industrial chemicals has surged, doubling to 2.3bn tonnes. It is estimated that this will increase by a further 50 per cent by 2030, which will accelerate the soil pollution problem.
The soil in individual countries has degraded over time due to years of neglect and poor treatment. In the United States, industrial waste accounted for a significant 2.1 billion pounds of chemical waste disposed on land in 2022, as reported by global data firm Statista. The European Environment Agency (EEA) reports that approximately 2.8 million contaminated sites in Europe stem from industrial activities. This alarming statistic highlights the urgent need to combat soil pollution, which is projected to cause over 500,000 premature deaths annually.
According to a UN report, the Global Assessment of Soil Pollution, the world’s soils, which generate 95 per cent of humankind’s food, are “under great pressure”. In light of alarming global soil reports, manufacturers must act now, but what steps will be the most effective?
From a dirty to clean footprint – what five actions to take to reduce soil pollution
During a recent climate address, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres said: “We are playing Russian roulette with our planet. We need an exit ramp off the highway to climate hell, and the truth is we have control of the wheel.”
Manufacturers can take control of the situation through their operations and by fostering an employee culture that promotes sustainability in all business areas. To reverse the negative impact of their operations on soil and instead champion soil remediation, leaders can embrace these five critical actions:
1. Implementing and enforcing strict rules and standards
Businesses should prioritise their internal success by implementing a comprehensive environmental, social, and governance (ESG) plan that addresses the soil impact and remediation related to their operations. A sustainable framework and tools can act as an ESG compass.
2. Implementing advanced waste management systems
Manufacturers must embrace proactive processes like adopting comprehensive waste management strategies to reduce the leakage of harmful substances into the soil. Additionally, practices, such as proper disposal and recycling of industrial waste and employing containment systems to stop accidental spills, should be deployed.
3. Adopting sustainable manufacturing practices
Sustainable practices must be embraced by all employees from the board to the factory floor, including practices like reducing resource consumption, shifting to eco-friendly raw materials, and limiting hazardous chemicals. Combined with green technologies and modern processes, businesses can drastically decrease soil pollution.
4. Investing in pollution control technologies
Organisations can supercharge their ESG progress with cutting-edge pollution control equipment, such as filters and scrubbers, which can help capture and neutralise pollutants. Investments will be required in tech for treating wastewater and air emissions, thereby decreasing the potential for soil contamination.
5. Employing soil remediation techniques
Processes such as soil washing (chemical contaminant removal process), bioremediation (natural degradation using microorganisms), and phytoremediation (plant-based toxin detoxification method) can absorb chemicals or detoxify soil contaminates. In particular, bioremediation is not only eco-friendly but can also be cost-effective.
Pioneering solutions for cleaner soil – a case study
In 1991, the 18 de Marzo Refinery in Azcapotzalco in Mexico City left behind a 55-hectare site contaminated with total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH). Experts deployed bioremediation techniques to the site, which was divided into seven zones based on contaminant types and media, such as soil or groundwater. These processes boosted the nutrient stimulation and aeration, successfully optimising conditions for indigenous microorganisms to remediate the environment.
The remediation strategy of the site used a combination of biocell treatment (enhanced soil bioremediation process) and other methods to address diverse contaminant types effectively. This triumph of this bioremediation deployment was driven by the tailored approach for each zone, using indigenous microorganisms and sophisticated filtration techniques. Manufacturers can replicate this success by adapting remediation tactics to the precise contaminants and environmental conditions.
Greening the factory floor – how manufacturers can champion soil remediation
In summary, manufacturing leaders must act now. The world’s soil situation is worsening, and without immediate action, there will be further devastating, long-term effects on our environment, as well as human life, for generations to come.
The key to this is incorporating the above five clear actions into your business strategies and raising internal awareness of the long-lasting, negative impacts of soil contamination and pollution. Cultivating a culture that encourages employees to challenge unsustainable practices and, instead, promotes ESG-focused activities is essential. But where do you start?
First, start by examining your soil pollution vulnerabilities. To do this, our comprehensive WEF-approved, ESG assessment tool, Consumer Sustainability Industry Readiness Index (COSIRI), can quickly identify and address sustainability blind spots within your organisation. A COSIRI evaluation pinpoints operational inefficiencies and guides the development of a sustainable action plan. This customised roadmap includes clear milestones, step-by-step strategies, necessary resources, and target outcomes. By highlighting areas of significant environmental impact, COSIRI provides a strong foundation for risk mitigation. To learn more about COSIRI and explore which option, COSIRI-10 and COSIRI-24, will work best for your business, visit our website.
