Clean Prod Research Articles

Pricing decisions in a two-period closed-loop supply chain game under asymmetric information and uncertainty

AbstractStrategies to increase sustainability are of growing relevance for supply chains and especially for the management of production processes. In this paper, we build on existing literature in closed-loop supply chain management and consider a two-period game-theoretic model in which product returns are reused in the manufacturing process. In all scenarios, we assume that the return rate of used products is random and not known to the players at the beginning of the planning horizon, thus, they have to deal with uncertainty in period 1. In contrast to existing literature, we will also address the circumstance that the players’ level of information in period 2, after the returns have been realized, can be linked to the collection mode in the supply chain. In Scenario A, the retailer is involved in the collection of the used products and transfers them to the manufacturer, so that symmetric information is available. In Scenario B, on the other hand, the used products reach the manufacturer directly from the customer, so that the manufacturer has an information advantage over the retailer. By comparing these scenarios and a vertically integrated supply chain benchmark case, it becomes clear that, depending on the actual return rate, the presence of private information can be either beneficial or detrimental to the manufacturer. The retailer, on the other hand, can compensate for information disadvantages in most cases over the multi-period planning period due to its position as a Stackelberg leader. Regardless of the amount of a transfer payment offered to it by the manufacturer, it prefers the collection of the goods by the manufacturer itself. These findings contribute to literature on symmetric information, where, for example, a retailer-led collection is preferred (Savaskan et al. Manage Sci 50(2):239–252, 2004) or the decision depends on the amount of the transfer payment (Modak et al. J Clean Prod 171:512–528, 2018). However, we show that cooperation between the players leads to the best results not only economically but also from an ecological point of view.

Evaluating environmental, economic, and social aspects of an intensive pig production farm in the south of Brazil: a case study

PurposeThe objective of this work was to quantify and understand the impacts of intensive pig production at family-farm level. A case study from the west of Santa Catarina State was used to identify adverse issues (hotspots) of pig production by integrating the assessment of the environmental, economic, and social aspects of the system. The quantitative and qualitative indicators calculated can guide and support the decision-making processes for a variety of stakeholders and actors.MethodsThe environmental performance of the pig production system was assessed from cradle-to-farm gate using environmental Life Cycle Assessment methodology set out in ISO 14040 (ISO 2006a). The functional unit (FU) was 1 kg of Liveweight (kg-LW). The structure of the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) was based on Neugebauer et al. (J Clean Prod 102:165–176, 2015) and Chen and Holden (J Clean Prod 172:1169–1179, 2018), who proposed a tiered framework to evaluate the impacts on the environmental, social, and financial aspects of a product. The economic dimension or Life Cycle Cost (Hunkeler et al. in Environmental life cycle costing. Crc Press, London, 2008) focused on farm-level activities. The social impact was calculated based on the UNEP/SETAC (2009) guidelines.Results and discussionThe environmental performance of the finishing pig production was slightly lower than reference value for climate impacts, acidification, and eutrophication. The economic impacts tended to be positive, reflecting the efforts of the farmer and employee to maintain high productivity and reduce the number of pig losses in comparison with the reference values. However, this effort did not result in greater profitability, causing low farm income. The impacts of low profitability were not transferred to the employee since the wage were above the reference value. There is a need for more education for small farmers, which is known to have a positive correlation with the adoption of new technologies, thus reducing adverse environmental and social impacts and increasing economic return.ConclusionsThe interaction of social and economic factors suggests it is unlikely that the farm can achieve better environmental performance. The limited economic return and low level of education have a negative impact on the farmer’s capacity to adopt new technologies to improve environmental outcomes. The use of LCSA, based on a consistent model across the three aspects of sustainability, made it possible to understand the interaction of these factors.

Sustainable waste management in anaesthesia and critical care

Collaborators: Yorkshire Green Anaesthesia Society, Anaesthetic Audit and Research Matrix of Yorkshire, South Yorkshire Hospitals Audit and Research Collaboration Background: The NHS is responsible for 4% of the UK carbon footprint; waste and water are together responsible for 5% of this. The NHS has set targets to have net zero emissions by 2045.1 Anaesthetists report discarding single-use items from pre-made device insertion packs without having used them, thus identifying a potential waste hotspot that could be tackled to reduce environmental and financial costs. Our aim was to identify whether items are wasted from commonly used pre-made packs in anaesthesia and critical care, and if so, quantify the carbon footprint and financial costs of this waste. Method: All acute hospital Trusts in Yorkshire and Humber were invited to participate. Data were collected for a period of 2 weeks on the items discarded unused from the following premade packs in anaesthesia and critical care: spinal, arterial line, central line, and cannula. Waste hotspots were identified as items most commonly discarded unused across all pack types. One of each of these items was broken down, and the constituent materials were identified and weighed. The weight for each item was multiplied by a conversion factor from the ICE database to calculate their materials’ carbon footprint.2 Results: During the study period, data from 319 pre-made packs were reported across 10 Trusts. All the reported packs included single-use items that were thrown away unused. There was variation in the constituents of each pack, however overall, the following items were most commonly wasted when they were present in a pack; 100% of cannula pack drapes, 90% of disposal bags, 74% of sharps safety disposal mats, 56% of green needles, 56% of 2 ml syringes, 51% of non-woven (white) gauze, 43% of gallipots, 38% of orange needles, 35% of 5 ml syringes, and 16% of woven (green) gauze. The total carbon equivalent of the top nine items thrown away, for which material information was available, was 8.94 kg CO2 equivalent (CO2e). Extrapolated over 1 yr this equates to a CO2e of 232 kg. The total weight of these items was >2 kg, equating to 56 kg unnecessary waste per year. Disposal of these would equate to a carbon cost of a further 20 kg CO2e over a year.3 Conclusion: Device insertion packs are a waste hotspot. The waste identified has environmental, financial, and social impacts. A multidisciplinary approach including healthcare staff, procurement teams, and suppliers is necessary to reduce waste from single-use device insertion packs. This might include exploring reusable options and removing unnecessary items from pre-made packs. 1.NHS. 2020. Delivering a ‘net zero’ national health service. Available from https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/wp-content/uploads/sites/51/2020/10/delivering-a-net-zero-national-health-service.pdf (accessed 20/03/23)2.Circular Ecology. 2019. Embodied Carbon – The ICE database. Available from https://circularecology.com/embodied-carbon-footprint-database.html (accessed 20/03/23)3.Rizan C, Bhutta MF, Reed M, Lilywhite R. J Clean Prod 2021; 286: 125446

Spatially tailored laser energy distribution using innovative optics for gas-tight welding of casted and wrought aluminum alloys in e-mobility

Electric mobility is undergoing a very rapid maturation process [A. Kampker, K. Kreisköther, P. Treichel, T. Möller, Y. Boelsen, and D. Neb, “Electromobility trends and challenges of future mass production,” in Handbook Industry 4.0, edited by W. Frenz (Springer, Berlin, 2022), D. Ziegler and N. Abdelkafi, “Business models for electric vehicles: Literature review and key insights,” J. Cleaner Prod. 330, 129803 (2022)]. While conventional vehicle design disciplines such as car body design are established, electromobility-specific disciplines are in the technological orientation and ramp-up phase. In particular, the demand for components like batteries, e-motors, and power electronics is growing continuously [A. Kampker, K. Kreisköther, P. Treichel, T. Möller, Y. Boelsen, and D. Neb, “Electromobility trends and challenges of future mass production,” in Handbook Industry 4.0, edited by W. Frenz (Springer, Berlin, 2022), D. Ziegler and N. Abdelkafi, “Business models for electric vehicles: Literature review and key insights,” J. Cleaner Prod. 330, 129803 (2022)]. One of the major materials chosen for these parts is aluminum alloys [C. Prieto, E. Vaamonde, D. Diego-Vallejo, J. Jimenez, B. Urbach, Y. Vidne, and E. Shekel, “Dynamic laser beam shaping for laser aluminium welding in e-mobility applications,” Procedia CIRP. 94, 596–600 (2020)]. Next to the material-specific challenges and mentioned requirements, the focus is on the gas-tight welding of aluminum alloys for parts like casted power electronics housings and heat exchangers made of sheet metal or extrusion profiles. Gas-tightness is a requirement, on the one hand, to shield electronic components from the influence of the surrounding environment and, on the other hand, to prevent leakage of the water-cooling circuit [C. Prieto, E. Vaamonde, D. Diego-Vallejo, J. Jimenez, B. Urbach, Y. Vidne, and E. Shekel, “Dynamic laser beam shaping for laser aluminium welding in e-mobility applications,” Procedia CIRP. 94, 596–600 (2020), A. Artinov, M. Bachmann, X. Meng, V. Karkhin, and M. Rethmeier, “On the relationship between the bulge effect and the hot cracking formation during deep penetration laser beam welding,” Procedia CIRP 94, 5–10 (2020)]. This paper offers insight into the requirements of these parts and an innovative optics approach with a novel MultiFocus solution. Material-specific challenges (e. g. porosity), especially, for helium-tight welding of aluminum casted housings with forging alloys are characterized. This analysis is conducted using gas-tightness measurements, CT-scans, micrographs, and high-speed recordings in order to elaborate on the fundamental laser-material-process interdependencies and the correlation between the process and resulting quality, in terms of tightness. Furthermore, high-speed synchrotron recordings are conducted at the DESY and based on that, a detailed evaluation of laser and material interaction is conducted. This allows an explanation of the interactions for the prevention of pore formation in aluminum alloys and, thus, the characterization of the boundary conditions for a reliable process of gas-tight welding on aluminum alloys [C. Prieto, E. Vaamonde, D. Diego-Vallejo, J. Jimenez, B. Urbach, Y. Vidne, and E. Shekel, “Dynamic laser beam shaping for laser aluminium welding in e-mobility applications,” Procedia CIRP. 94, 596–600 (2020)].

Theatre sustainability: our journey to reach net zero

Background: In 2021, University College London Hospitals declared a climate and health emergency and committed to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2031. Our theatre sustainability team has so far focused on (a) reducing our use of inhalation agents, (b) improving our waste streaming, and (c) education. Here we summarise some of our projects. Methods: (a) In February 2021, desflurane was removed from our anaesthetic machines after departmental consensus. Our department purchased 138 TIVA pumps so that availability of pumps was not a barrier to using TIVA. (b) We introduced tiger-stripe bags to dispose of our non-infectious clinical waste. Previously only orange bags were being used for clinical waste in theatre, which have a higher cost and carbon footprint than tiger-stripe bags.1 We surveyed staff on waste management then introduced tiger-stripe bags to one theatre during a pilot week. We carried out daily staff education and weighed all the bin bags. (c) Education initiatives to increase awareness and engagement of staff and patients include audit day presentations, updates at theatre multidisciplinary teaching, a sustainability journal club, and an ongoing patient and staff survey on environmental sustainability and healthcare. Results: (a) There has been a downtrend in use of desflurane to almost zero (Fig. 15). There has been an overall upward trend in use of TIVA (as shown by number of 50- and 100-ml propofol vials used) and downwards trend in sevoflurane use (Fig. 15). A survey conducted in November 2021 showed 50% of those surveyed used TIVA for more than 75% of general anaesthetics. There has also been a downward trend in total volume of nitrous oxide used. (b) The use of tiger-stripe bags during the pilot week resulted in a 32% reduction in waste disposal cost and 59% reduction in CO2 emissions. Tiger-stripe bags have now been introduced to all 27 elective theatres across three separate sites. Conclusions: With appropriate education, engagement, and provision of the required equipment, we have reduced our use of inhalation agents (desflurane in particular), increased our use of TIVA, and made significant carbon and cost savings through optimising our waste streaming. We are now working on reducing our use of single-use items, minimising energy wastage and conducting life cycle assessments of common operations. 1.Rizan C, Bhutta MF, Reed M, Lilywhite R. J Clean Prod 2021; 286: 125446

Supply Chain Management: A Review and Bibliometric Analysis

Supply chain management (SCM), which generally refers to horizontal integration management, has steadily become the core competitiveness of company rivalry and an essential approach to developing national comprehensive and national strength since the end of the 20th century due to the numerous needs arising from a competitive international economy. Manufacturers develop a community of interest by forming long-term strategic partnerships with suppliers and vendors throughout the supply chain. This paper defines supply chain management by reviewing the existing literature and discusses the current state of supply chain management research, as well as prospective research directions. Specifically, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of the influential studies of SCM in terms of various aspects, such as research areas, journals, countries/regions, institutions, authors and corresponding authors, most cited publications, and author keywords, based on the 8998 reviews and articles collected from the SCI and SSCI database of the Web of Science (WoS) between 2010 and 2020. The results show that the major research areas were Management (3071, 34.13%), Operations Research & Management Science (2680, 29.78%), and Engineering, Industrial (1854, 20.60%) with TP and TPR%. The most productive journal and institution were J. Clean Prod and Hong Kong Polytech Univ with a TP of 554 and 238, respectively. China, USA, and UK were the top three contributing countries. Furthermore, “sustainability”, “green supply chain (management)”, and “sustainable supply chain (management)” were the most popular author keywords in recent three years and since 2010, apart from the author keywords of SCM. When combined with the most cited articles in recent years, the application of block chain and Industry 4.0 in supply chain management increased rapidly and generated great attention.

Can analytics software measure end user computing electricity consumption?

The purpose of this research is to answer the question, ‘can analytics software measure end user computing electricity consumption?’ The rationale being that the success of traditional methodologies, such as watt metres, is limited by newly evolved barriers such as mobility and scale (Greenblatt et al., in Field data collection of miscellaneous electrical loads in Northern California: initial results. Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory research paper, pp 4–5, 2013). Such limitations significantly reduce the availability of end user computing use phase energy consumption field data (Karpagam and Yung, in J Clean Prod 156:828, 2017). This causes computer manufacturers to instead rely upon no-user present energy efficiency benchmarks (Energy Star, in Product finder, product, certified computers, results. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Energy. https://www.energystar.gov/productfinder/product/certified-computers/results, 2021) to act as baseline data for product carbon footprint reports. As the benchmark approach is previously tested to cause scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions quantification to be inaccurate by − 48% to + 107% (Sutton-Parker, in Determining end user computing device Scope 2 GHG emissions with accurate use phase energy consumption measurement, 1877-0509. Amsterdam: Science Direct, Elsevier B.V., 2020), testing a new methodology that includes the impact of human–computer interaction is arguably of value. As such, the proposed method is tested using a distributed node based analytics software to capture both computer asset and human use profile data sets from one hundred and eleven computer users operating in a subject organisation for 30-days. The simple rationale is that the node, unlike a watt metre, is not restricted by location, can be deployed and monitored globally from a centralised location and can move with the computer to ensure constant measurement. The resulting data sets are used to populate a current use phase electricity consumption calculation data flow (Kawamoto et al., in Energy 27:255, 2001; Roth et al., in Energy consumption by office and telecommunications equipment in commercial buildings: energy consumption baseline, 2002) in order to examine for omissions. Additionally, to test for data accuracy, one computer user acts as a control subject, measuring electricity consumption with both a watt-metre and the analytics software. The rationale being that the watt-metre data is extensively proven to be accurate (Energy Star, in Energy star computers final version 8.0 Specification, Washington D.C., United States Department of Energy. https://www.energystar.gov/products/spec/computers_version_8_0_pd, 2020) and will therefore expose errors produced by the software in relation to power draw, on-time and resulting kilo-watt hours (kWh) values. Further to the data capture period, the findings are mixed. Positively, the new method overcomes the barriers of numerous, assorted devices (scale) operating in ever changing locations (mobility). This is achieved by the node reporting in real-time make and model asset data together with device specific electricity consumption and location data via internet technologies. Negatively, the control subject identifies that the electricity consumption values produced by the software are inaccurate by a relatively constant 48%. Furthermore, data omissions are experienced including the exclusion of computer displays caused by the node requiring an operating system to collect data. This latter point would exclude the energy consumption measurement and therefore concomitant greenhouse gas emissions of any displays connected to desktop or mobile computers. Consequently, whilst the research question is answered, the identification of the software exaggerating use phase energy consumption by 48% and excluding peripheral devices, determines the analytics methodology to be in need of further development. The rationale being that use phase consumption quantification is key to lifecycle assessment and greenhouse gas accounting protocol and both require high levels of accuracy (WBCSD and WRI, in The greenhouse gas protocol. A corporate accounting and reporting standard, Geneva, Switzerland and New York, USA. https://ghgprotocol.org/corporate-standard, 2004). It is therefore recommended that further research be undertaken to specifically address omissions and to reduce the over reporting aspect identified as caused by algorithms in the software used to calculate hardware power draw.Graphical abstract

The Negative Bidirectional Interaction Between Climate Change and the Prevalence and Care of Liver Disease: A Joint BSG, BASL, EASL, and AASLD Commentary

The Negative Bidirectional Interaction Between Climate Change and the Prevalence and Care of Liver Disease: A Joint BSG, BASL, EASL, and AASLD Commentary

Phasing out the blast furnace to meet global climate targets

Phasing out the blast furnace to meet global climate targets

The feasibility of heavy battery electric trucks

Summary Research on the decarbonization of transport often concludes that heavy battery electric trucks are infeasible due to the incompatibility of long driving distance with high energy use and low specific energy and high costs of batteries. However, emphasis is often placed on battery electric range matching that of diesel trucks, instead of overall competitiveness. We model battery electric trucks that use high-power fast charging, enabling smaller batteries and showing that the economics of battery electric trucks per ton-kilometer improves with greater weight, driven by increasing load capacity as well as increased energy savings as a function of weight. Furthermore, we show that previous findings that the competitiveness per kilometer is worse for heavy trucks than for lighter trucks are very sensitive to assumptions about the battery cost per kWh and lifetime of the battery pack. Given the rapid development of batteries, we conclude that the economic feasibility of heavy battery electric trucks might have been generally underestimated.

The environmental impact of rearing crickets for live pet food in the UK, and implications of a transition to a hybrid business model combining production for live pet food with production for human consumption

PurposeRearing crickets in the UK for the live pet food market is already a well-established industry. However, there is interest in also producing food for human consumption. This paper presents a life cycle assessment (LCA) of a current live pet food business. Using results from this LCA, the papers explores how current business practices could be improved to reduce environmental impacts, and discusses the potential benefits of a hybrid live pet food/human consumption business model.MethodsAn attributional, cradle-to-farm-gate life cycle assessment was conducted on rearing crickets for the live pet food market, with data collected on-site at a case study business. Results are reported in multiple impact categories from the ILCD 2011 Midpoint+ method. Comparison is made to the only other similar study: an LCA of rearing crickets in Thailand for human consumption (Halloran et al. J Clean Prod 156:83–94, 2017). The sources of the different environmental impacts between the two studies are explored and inefficiencies in the live pet food rearing process identified. Subsequently, scenarios are used to explore how the inefficiencies may be mitigated, and environmental impact of the live pet food production process reduced through adoption of a hybrid live pet food/human food production model.Results and discussionsThe environmental impact was found to be larger across all impact categories than the only known comparable study, which is for rearing crickets in Thailand for human consumption (Halloran et al. J Clean Prod 156:83–94, 2017). Some of this difference is due to the heating required for rearing crickets in a climate such as the UK, and some is due to the requirements of the live pet food market being much more demanding on resources than the human food model. The current study identifies improvements in practices that would make this contrast less stark, such as optimizing feeding practices, and the benefits of moving to a hybrid live pet food/human consumption business model.ConclusionsThis is the first LCA of crickets reared in the UK. The results highlight inefficiencies in the rearing process that are now being addressed by the case study business. The study also shows the potential co-benefits of a hybrid business model, in which crickets for human consumption are produced alongside crickets for the live pet food market.

Potential loss of nutrients, carbon and metals in simulated runoff associated with dairy processing sludge application

Dairy processing wastewater treatment sludge (DPWTS) is applied to grassland to recycle valuable nutrients and organic matter. Until recently the chemical composition of the dominant DPWTS types (calcium, aluminium or iron rich) was unknown, but the latest study (Ashekuzzaman et al. in J Clean Prod 230:1266–1275, 2019) indicates that DPWTS has high nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) content and their inherent chemical properties may influence their availability and losses. Herein for the first time edge of field-losses and plant-available P changes are simulated in an agitator test 48 h after application. In terms of overall losses, metals are not of concern across treatment types, iron-rich DPWTS has the highest losses in terms of concentration of ammonium-N and carbon, whereas calcium-rich DPWTS has the highest dissolved reactive P (DRP) losses but lowest losses of ammonium-N and carbon. The loss of DRP was found to be strongly positively associated with the increase in water-extractable P, degree of P saturation, Morgan’s and Mehlich-3 extractable phosphorus (Pm, M3-P), respectively. Runoff concentrations presented here represent edge of field-losses and may not represent final concentrations entering a surface waterbody. In terms of plant-available P, there were no negative effects with Pm exhibiting a positive trend across DPWTS types and soils. In particular, a significant increase was found for the calcium-rich DPWTS across all soils (average increase in Pm by fivefold). As applying DPWTS to grassland is an understudied area, further field trials should focus on emissions to air and water and examine the fertilizer value from N and P perspectives. Thus a better management of DPWTS as fertiliser can be maintained from an agronomic and environmental context.

The impact of economic structure to the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis: evidence from European countries.

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of economic structure of European countries into testing the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis for European countries for the period 1980 to 2014. This study is inspired by the work of Lin et al. (J Clean Prod 133:712-724, 2016), which made the first effort to investigate the phenomenon looking only at African countries. The main finding of the study is that the overall economic growth is the factor with which CO2 emissions exhibit an inverted U-shaped relationship in the studied country group. On the contrary, when using their industrial share as a proxy to capture the countries' economic structure, the EKC hypothesis is not confirmed - but a U-shaped relationship is confirmed. The industrial share decreases emissions through the development and absorption of technologies that are energy efficient and environmental friendly. The EKC hypothesis is confirmed when the aggregate GDP growth is considered, taking into account the improvement of the overall economic conditions of the countries regardless of the economic structure and role of industrialization.

A tool to operationalize dynamic LCA, including time differentiation on the complete background database

PurposeThe objective is to demonstrate an operational tool for dynamic LCA, based on the model by Tiruta-Barna et al. (J Clean Prod 116:198-206, Tiruta-Barna et al. 2016). The main innovation lies in the combination of full temporalization of the background inventory and a graph search algorithm leading to full dynamic LCI, further coupled to dynamic LCIA. The following objectives were addressed: (1) development of a database with temporal parameters for all processes of ecoinvent 3.2, (2) implementation of the model and the database in integrated software, and (3) demonstration on a case study comparing a conventional internal combustion engine car to an electric one.MethodsCalculation of dynamic LCA (including temporalization of background and foreground system) implies (i) a dynamic LCI model, (ii) a temporal database including temporal characterization of ecoinvent 3.2, (iii) a graph search algorithm, and (iv) dynamic LCIA models, in this specific case for climate change. The dynamic LCI model relies on a supply chain modeling perspective, instead of an accounting one. Unit processes are operations showing a specific functioning over time. Mass and energy exchanges depend on specific supply models. Production and supply are described by temporal parameters and functions. The graph search algorithm implements the dynamic LCI model, using the temporal database, to derive the life cycle environmental interventions scaled to the functional unit and distributed over time. The interventions are further combined with the dynamic LCIA models to obtain the temporally differentiated LCA results.Results and discussionA web-based tool for dynamic LCA calculations (DyPLCA) implementing the dynamic LCI model and temporal database was developed. The tool is operational and available for testing (http://dyplca.univ-lehavre.fr/). The case study showed that temporal characterization of background LCI can change significantly the LCA results. It is fair to say that temporally differentiated LCI in the background offers little interest for activities with high downstream emissions. It can provide insightful results when applied to life cycle systems where significant environmental interventions occur upstream. Those systems concern, for example, renewable electricity generation, for which most emissions are embodied in an infrastructure upstream. It is also observed that a higher degree of infrastructure contribution leads to higher spreading of impacts over time. Finally, a potential impact of the time window choice and discounting was observed in the case study, for comparison and decision-making. Time differentiation as a whole may thus influence the conclusions of a study.ConclusionsThe feasibility of dynamic LCA, including full temporalization of background system, was demonstrated through the development of a web-based tool and temporal database. It was showed that considering temporal differentiation across the complete life cycle, especially in the background system, can significantly change the LCA results. This is particularly relevant for product systems showing significant environmental interventions and material exchanges over long time periods upstream to the functional unit. A number of inherent limitations were discussed and shall be considered as opportunities for further research. This requires a collegial effort, involving industrial experts from different sectors.

Analysis of the environmental impact using the waste reduction algorithm in polypropylene production by applying grade transitions strategies in Colombia.

The global manufacturing sector faces a significant challenge about minimizing environmental impacts without witnessing the adverse effects on the market competitiveness. A cleaner production methodology must involve different approaches for minimizing or recycling waste streams, obtaining at the same time economical and environmental advantages for manufacturing companies (Severo et al., J Clean Prod 142:87-97, 2017). In the polypropylene production process, more than 60 grades of polypropylene are produced. To achieve this target, changes in the process variables are carried out, due to the continuous operation process. Those changes generate a mixture of resins with intermediate properties (transition), which must be minimized. Moreover, failures during the transitions process generate a large extra amount of material that represents a significant impact on the environment, when it is considered as waste. In this paper, an environmental analysis was made by applying a waste reduction algorithm (WAR) to establish the potential impact of a polypropylene production process over the environment, applying grade transitions strategies and then to demonstrate how the improvement of transition times implies a significant reduction of plastic waste. It was found that the reduction of transitions time minimizes the environmental impact based on real industry data. Last should be considered for the real polymer plant analyzed and future projects.

Quantification of corruption in preventative cost-based S-LCA: a contribution to the Oiconomy project

PurposeCorruption is one of the key social aspects, heavily impacting all three Planet-, People- and Prosperity sustainability pillars and is therefore essential to be included in S-LCA. The objective of this article is to consider the available options to quantify corruption in preventative cost-based S-LCA, and to make a first proposal for quantification.MethodsLiterature was investigated on potential S-LCA assessment methods of corruption. To date, such literature is hardly available, so more generally, S-LCA methods were assessed on described concepts and ideas, and assessed on five criteria. Following this, using the obtained conclusions and ideas, a proposal for the quantification of corruption for the preventative cost-based Oiconomy system was developed, following the five-step Oiconomy method (Croes and Vermeulen in J Clean Prod 102:178–187, 2015).Results and discussionBased on some examples, Dreyer et al. (Int J Life Cycle Assess 15(3):247–259, 2010) argue that various social aspects, including corruption, are better assessed by companies’ preventative efforts than by their impact. Therefore, modifying a method developed by Dreyer et al. (Int J Life Cycle Assess 15(3):247–259, 2010), an indicator is proposed provided by the product of the marginal preventative costs and the quality of a companies’ preventative governance. For the aspect of corruption, the internationally accepted target is “zero tolerance.” Literature shows that the ultimate business choice under pressure of corruption is “not doing the business.” Because profitability is the main driver for companies, refraining from the business is proposed as the marginal preventative measure, and the related profit as the maximum quantitative indicator for S-LCA. For the risk factor, a technique is proposed based on scoring a company’s governance quality by checking the four Plan-Do-Check-Act effort classes of common risk-based certification standards’ criteria.ConclusionsOur assessment shows a definite need for the inclusion of the aspect of corruption in S-LCA, but no options for a reasonably certain assessment are available for the aspect of corruption in impact-based S-LCA, also suitable for the preventative cost-based Oiconomy system. However, based on literature-derived ideas and principles, for the Oiconomy system, we could propose both a performance reference point and marginal preventative costs as a quantitative measure for corruption. The proposed measure is not paying the bribe, but the proposed indicator is a governance quality-dependent fraction of the consequentially lost profit margin. Consequences, limitations and possible objections to our proposed methods are discussed.

Extending the geopolitical supply risk method: material “substitutability” indicators applied to electric vehicles and dental X-ray equipment

While environmental LCA is relatively well developed, impact assessment methods for the “natural resources” AoP are weak. In particular, resource “criticality” is not addressed in conventional environmental impact assessment methods, though it could be captured within life cycle sustainability assessment. In that regard, the present article extends the previously developed geopolitical supply risk (GPSR) method by demonstrating the connection of criticality to a functional unit while incorporating measures of material substitutability to reflect the “vulnerability” dimension of criticality. The GPSR method developed by Gemechu et al. (J Ind Ecol 20:154–165, 2015a) and subsequently extended by Helbig et al. (J Clean Prod 137:1170–1178, 2016a), and Cimprich et al. (J Clean Prod, 2017) is integrated into an LCIA characterization model. Further, semi-quantitative material substitutability indicator values based on a study by Graedel et al. (PNAS 112:6295–6300, 2015) are incorporated to represent the vulnerability dimension of criticality. The method is demonstrated with an update of a previously published case study of a European-manufactured electric vehicle by Gemechu et al. (Int J Life Cycle Assess 22:31–39, 2015b), along with a new case study of dental X-ray equipment. Due to novel aspects of the GPSR method, the latter case involves constructing an unusually comprehensive bill of materials by tracing unit processes to input commodities with identification codes for collecting commodity trade data. Supply risk “hotspots” are often associated with “minor” commodities such as neodymium in an electric vehicle and cesium iodide in a dental X-ray system. Though difficult to measure, material substitutability can mitigate supply risk. Environmental loads of a dental X-ray system are dominated by production of relatively small specialized functional components like capacitors and printed circuit boards, which are far more environmentally intensive per unit of mass than common structural and mechanical components. Thus, small components comprised of minor materials can “pack a punch” from a supply risk and environmental perspective. The GPSR method presented in the present article brings resource criticality assessment to a product-level while addressing a gap in conventional LCIA methods regarding short-run, socioeconomic availability of natural resources. Further, the case studies illustrate the significance of material substitutability in supply risk assessment. Several complications and limitations of the GPSR method offer directions for future research. Nonetheless, the GPSR method complements environmental LCA to better inform design and management decisions on a product-level.

Driving Factors for the Success of the Green Innovation Market: A Relationship System Proposal

This study aims to map out the relationships that make up green innovation initiatives in Brazilian industry. The sample comprised 100 managers at manufacturing companies, most of them operating in the business of farm machinery and equipment (45 managers) and steel structures (14 managers). To develop this study, Medeiros et al. (J Clean Prod 65:76–86, 2014) study, mapping critical factors that drive the success of green product innovation and the paradigm of complexity, was used as a reference study. Based on the results, it was possible to identify that the operational dynamic of the factors and variables that affect market success do not happen in an isolated or fragmented way; they occur systematically with different contingencies and structured basic and intermediate skills in order to meet the expectations of consumers, laws, and environmental legislation. Initially, the technological expertise factor was noted as very important for sustaining green product innovation. Furthermore, since proactive leaders are an important factor for successfully developing environmentally sustainable products, it must be added to technological expertise as the foundation for developing green innovation. After defining the basis for green product innovation, the intermediary conditions necessary for using the available technology appropriately were mapped out. In this sense, variables such as “elimination of cultural barriers,” “capacity for critical reflective analysis,” and “experimentation” are also very important. In addition, some of the variables of the cross-functional collaboration and market knowledge factors were a part of the structure that organizations need to transform potential into developing green products, which is the basis for the third level of the model. The fourth level of the model has the “meeting consumer expectations” and “following law and legislation” factors, which make up the main goals for developing environmentally sustainable products according to a number of surveys that were conducted.

Electrochemical Enhanced Recovery of Precious Metals from Electronic Waste

The fast technology development of electrical and electronic devices is leaving behind and increasing amount of electronic waste (E-waste). If improperly disposed, this material can generate a devastating environmental impact by means of the leaching of brominate flame retardants and various heavy metals present [1]. Nevertheless, the increasing amount of E-waste present a significant potential for the recovery and recycling of base and precious metals, whose concentrations can exceed those found on mineral sources [2]. While some material is being recycled, it is generally being performed using low-tech methods leading to ecological damage and health issues for workers and local communities [3]. This recycling targets recovery of gold, the most valuable element while ignoring other metals such as Ag, Pd, Cu, and Sn. This work is seeking to recover the bulk of metals in E-waste using an electrochemically driven mediated process. The goal is to leaves a material that is ready for efficient precious metal recovery. In order to dissolve base metals such as Cu and Sn, chemical dissolution methods consume significant quantities of acids which add to process costs. An alternate method of dissolving metals involves using a chemical mediator to attack the base metals. The mediator can be turned over electrochemically to limit the amount of chemicals added and the metals dissolved depend on the oxidizer generated in the process. While the use of a strong oxidizer will dissolve all metals from the material [4], the approach taken in this work uses a weaker oxidizer that attacks the base metals (Cu, Sn, Zn, Ni) in the non ferromagnetic fraction of mobile electronic devices (steel fragments are magnetically separated prior to processing). This approach has been taken as the remaining small concentrations of precious metals can be extracted efficiently with minimum chemical consumption. In this work, the recovery of base metals has been performed using the Fe+3/+2 mediator couple as the oxidant. Work has progressed from pure metals to recovery from milled recycled phone materials. Figure 1 shows the outlet composition of an experiment where a Fe+3 solution was continuously fed to an extraction reactor containing milled phone material while collecting the outflow. The extraction order of metals follows the galvanic series where Sn is observed initially and Cu appears only after most of the Sn is removed. This suggests that selective recovery could be achieved. The process has been developed using an electrochemical cell, operating in series with an extraction reactor containing phone material. The oxidant generated at the anode is flowed through the reactor and returned to the cathode side of the cell for recovery at the cathode. The process has achieved over 90% recovery of metals. Figure 1. Fraction of metal extracted from milled cell phone material through a continuous feeding of 0.2 M Fe2(SO4)3 in 1 M H2SO4.

Technology Transfer Models Between Industrial Biotechnology Companies and Academic Spin-Offs

Technology Transfer Models Between Industrial Biotechnology Companies and Academic Spin-Offs