Role of Cleanrooms to Achieve Sustainability Goals

Cleanrooms play an integral part in achieving environmental responsibility and sustainability goals through waste reduction, recycling, and reusing.

FREMONT, CA:Increasing corporate social responsibility and environmental awareness demand cleanrooms to make the world a better, more eco-friendly place with their green initiatives. As the world shifts into a more environmentally friendly thought process, cleanrooms are also evolving. Cleanroom environmental initiatives include efforts to eliminate unnecessary excess operational waste, conserve natural resources, and manufacture environmentally friendly products. Corporations, consumers, and government mandates look forward to and expect more from these green initiatives.

The particular focus and key concepts for cleanroom initiatives include reduction, reuse, recycling, and biodegradability. In terms of recycling, the ultimate goal is to recycle, but when recycling is not possible, biodegradability is the focus. Cleanroom experts consider the use of common cleanroom materials and their biodegradability and recyclability. These materials include synthetic fibres or yarns, cellulosic and cotton fibres, regenerated cellulose, corrugated cartons, plastic bags or pouches, plastic canisters, and cleanroom bond paper. Other areas of emphasis include air pollution, energy efficiency, and the recycling of cleanroom garments, boot covers, hairnets, and laboratory gloves.

Cleanroom Sustainability Initiatives

Reusing Air to Reduce Air Waste

The air inside a cleanroom is not free, and there is an immense expense that goes into treating the air in a cleanroom. Therefore, cleanrooms utilise green air through the use of fan filter units. These filters allow cleanrooms to reuse disposed waste air and continuously circulate this air to allow for the maintenance of temperature, humidity, and cleaner air. Reducing air pollution is cost-effective and mitigates any environmental impacts.

Cleanroom Materials Waste Reduction

Through innovative single-use garment recycling initiatives, cleanrooms have stepped up their sustainability game, taking recycling cleanroom materials to an entirely new level. Single-use cleanroom materials like garments, hairnets, laboratory gloves, and boot covers are recycled and turned into eco-friendly products for consumers. Products produced using recycled single-use cleanroom garments include plastic benches and chairs, bulk plastic, etc. More than 99 per cent of manufacturing waste is diverted from landfills through these new recycling programs, aiming for zero waste in the future.

Modular Cleanrooms

Cleanrooms are controlled environments with energy and resource-dependent and modular cleanrooms make this an achievable goal to make cleanrooms more energy-efficient. Building modular cleanrooms aims to reduce materials and waste when building. The primary focus is on the building of new, smaller, modular systems that utilise fewer materials, reducing a cleanroom's overall energy footprint on the environment. Building small is better for the environment, and facilities can upgrade if more space is required in the future. An overbuilt cleanroom centre is extremely resource- and energy-intensive.

Cleanrooms have many environmental benefits and are a priority for them. However, as the world continues to evolve and progress toward the goal of a more sustainable world, there is a greater emphasis on environmental responsibility. Furthermore, cleanrooms will continue to play their role in making the world a better place by reducing waste, recycling, and reusing.