Integrated Environmental Protection within the Ceramics Industry under Observance of the IPPC-Directive and the Development of BAT Reference Documents

Within this project the state of the implementation of integrated environmental protection in
the German ceramics industry has been investigated. The sectors of the production of
household ceramics, sanitary ceramics and ceramic tiles as well as the manufacture of
bricks and roofing tiles, refractory products and vitrified clay pipes have been analysed
particularly. The research project has the main goal to prepare a national so-called position
paper about best available techniques (BAT) in the German ceramics industry to support
the European information exchange on the sector-specific determination of BAT demanded
by the IPPC-Directive. This report gives an overview of the steps carried out and the
important results within the project. The structure of this position paper is adapted to the
structure of the sector-specific European best available technique reference documents
(BREFs), which will be referred to later on. It provides general information about the
structure of the German ceramics industry, the economic standing of the production sectors
as well as general environmental aspects. Different processes and techniques, operated in
the single sectors, are presented and analysed. Thereby important mass and energy flows
concerning the environment are identified as well as present consumption and emission
levels are presented partly by the usage of flow diagrams. Available techniques for the
reduction and prevention of environmental pollution including the achievable consumption
and emissions levels are presented, substantiated in case studies and summarized in a list.