The Effluent Treatment Station analyst (ETE) for the Jeep Automotive Plant, Natália Andrade (photo), explains that all the effluents from the factory are treated and returned in order to be used in several stages of production, as in the water test for instance (which tests the insulation of the car) or in the painting sector (where the water in the tanks is reused). “This maximum reuse allows us not to get water from any river or even groundwater. This is very important because, by using fewer natural resources, we are preserving the environment”, she explains. In one month, about 28 thousand m³ of water will no longer be taken from the public supply network, which is the equivalent of eight Olympic-sized swimming pools or the average consumption of 8,484 people.
Since the opening of the factory five years ago, the plant has managed to reduce the water indicator per vehicle by 52%. “When we inaugurated the factory, 2,980 liters of water were needed to produce a car. Today, we use 1,430 liters”, explains Natália. In addition, this water is totally renewed, as the plant has a WWTP with a treatment capacity for 210 thousand liters of water per hour and differentials such as Membrane technologies - MBR (reactor with microporous membranes that perform the ultrafiltration process, barring solids and bacteria) and Reverse Osmosis (semipermeable membrane that separates water from mineral salts). The only water that is not reused at the factory is that intended for human consumption. Rainwater is used to irrigate the seedling nursery.
Clean beaches
It turns out that water preservation is not restricted to reducing domestic consumption and of industrial processes. “When we involve the issue of climate change, we are also talking about waste disposal and pollution of oceans, mangroves and water sources”, points out the plant's environmental analyst, Diego Marques.
For this reason, Jeep goes beyond the walls of the factory, taking action regarding water conservation to the population. This is the case of the project “Praia Limpa, Minha Praia” (Clean Beach, My Beach), which has as its main objective to make people aware of the correct way to separate waste. “The plant's employees are preparing to go to the beaches, talk to people, distribute ecological bags and collect waste to take to the Ecological Island, from where they will be properly disposed of,” explains Marques.
In addition to this action, there are others within the factory that are aligned with the UN theme, such as question and answer tests on the environment, information and a sustainability challenge. For Diego, these initiatives carried out inside and outside the Plant end up bringing the population closer to Jeep, which is even more involved in the community in which it operates. “In addition, the plant's employee becomes more knowledgeable on the subject. Everyone wins and the environment is thankful for it” Marques celebrates.
Aurenilson Pardim, purchasing analyst at the Jeep Automotive Plant can attest to that. As a lover of the sea, he says that whenever he goes to the beach with his family, he might forget everything except for the ecological bag to collect personal garbage. "When possible, we also collect the garbage we find on our way", he says.