As a leading environmental expert, Robert Lao is always concerned about the deteriorating water quality of the nation's most polluted waterway - the Huaihe River.

"We have set an economic example in recycling wastes from factories that used to be discharged directly into the river," said Lao, insisting that it's urgent to adopt recycling in industrial production and fight pollution along the river that runs across several provinces.

After retiring from the Department of Environment in the Canadian government, the Canadian-Chinese Lao, 70, has led a team to promote cleaner production in China.

In 1997, his team joined the Chinese government's efforts in purifying Huaihe River and started a first pilot project at a fertilizer factory in the river valley.

Lao's team, which is part of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), worked with the Fuyang Chemical Factory, a producer of carbamide, ammonium hydrogen carbonate, at a riverside factory in Anhui Province. Together, they have discovered ways to stop polluting and to recycle waste materials collected in the process of production. Previously, pollution-reducing measures were only taken at the end of the production.

Sun Yongqiang, a former chief engineer at the factory, said that changing the firm's way of thinking and the "action-now" attitude are both crucial in making environmental protection viable.

With help from Lao's team, the factory can collect 2,500 tons of ammonium, 550 tons of sulphur, and 150 tons of oil each year from the production process. That yields an additional profit of 3 million yuan (US$361,000). Meanwhile, the emission of polluted water has been reduced by up to 3,000 tons every year.

Sun said that cleaner production is sustainable at his factory since recycling has garnered true economic returns.

"We helped them recycle waste products and to realize zero-emissions during the production process," said Lao.

Meanwhile, Lao is very concerned about the fact the pollution remains generally unchecked despite a decade of expensive control efforts along the Huaihe River, running across Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shandong and Hubei provinces.

"Many people believe that fighting pollution is only costing money. On the contrary, we help enterprises use technology to reduce costs, yield additional profits and lessen pollution at the same time," said Lao.

With a total of 100 million yuan (US$12 million) donated from the Canadian government over the last seven years, the Chinese and Canadian governments have jointly started cleaner production in six sectors, including fertilizer-making, brewing and paper-making.

Currently, the two governments are still implementing cleaner production training and restructuring in regions that include Gansu Province and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, while attempting to cut pollution in oil and non-metallic sectors.

"The project led by Lao has made great achievements and it's feasible to spread throughout the nation," said former CIDA President Len Lengood, who is also current president of the Global Environmental Fund.

The project has also won applause from the Chinese government.

Zhao Jiarong, department director of the National Development and Reform Commission, said the biggest achievement of the endeavor is reflected in its contributions to helping China set up a legal foundation to promote cleaner production.

With the help from CIDA and the National People's Congress - China's top legislature - the Law on Cleaner Production was enacted, taking effect at the beginning of 2003.

Zhao said priority should be placed on setting detailed energy and resource consumption ceilings for all sectors in the process of cleaner production.

Lao suggested a massive publicity campaign nationwide to make Chinese people informed of the practices because insufficient resources can be the single most dangerous threat to China's economic development.

(China Daily March 30, 2005)