As much as one-third of the food intentionally grown for human consumption is never consumed and therefore wasted, with significant environmental, social economic ramifications. An increasing number publications in this area currently consider different aspects critical issue, generally focus on proactive approaches to reduce waste, or reactive solutions more efficient waste management. In context, paper takes a holistic approach aim achieving better understanding types using knowledge...

As nations develop policies for low-carbon transitions, conflicts with existing and planning tools are leading to competing demands land other resources. This raises fundamental questions over how multiple can best be managed. Taking the UK as an empirical example, this paper critiques current practices explore interdependencies at water-energy-food nexus. It considers uses related affect UK's resilience climate change, setting out agenda research practice relevant stakeholders in land-use...

The adoption of circularity indicators in the electrical and electronic sector is understood to play a critical role organisational decision making during transition from linear circular economy. Yet, it widely recognised that there no standardised method measuring performance. Additionally, extent literature uncovers range shortcomings existing cross-sector indicators, including predominant focus on end-of-life, limited coverage social measurements, lack specificity capture product...

Abstract Sustainable development is the current strategic trajectory with transformative intent for complex global challenges including eradication of poverty, full social inclusion and prevention ecological collapse. However, discourses related to private sector emphasise economic over environmental components sustainable development. Embedding sustainability management imperative business, supported by numerous frameworks, yet there confusion about implementation in both literature...

Improving material efficiency is widely accepted as one of the key challenges facing manufacturers in future. Increasing consumption having detrimental impacts on environment a result their extraction, processing, and disposal. It clear that radical improvements are required to avoid further environmental damage sustain manufacturing sector. Current resource management approaches predominantly used improve solely economic terms. Meanwhile, assessment methodologies can determine sources...

Recent trends in the bio-plastics industry indicate a rapid shift towards use of bio-derived conventional plastics such as polyethylene (bio-PE). Whereas historically significant driver for development has been their biodegradability, adoption bio-PE is driven by renewability raw materials from which they are produced. The production these renewable resources requires agricultural land, limited its availability. Land also an essential requirement food and becoming increasingly important fuel...

Resource efficiency is recognized as one of the greatest sustainability challenges facing manufacturing industry in future. Materials are a resource primary importance, making significant contribution to economic costs and environmental impacts production. During phase majority initiatives management methodologies have been concerned primarily with improvements measured on an basis. More recently, need for even greater levels has extended scope these consider complete industrial systems at...

Additive Manufacturing (AM), often misleadingly referred to as 3D Printing (3DP), comprises of a group technologies whose initial inception occurred over thirty years ago within the product design and development applications for rapid prototyping concepts, primarily using polymeric materials. Over past few AM has increased exponentially expanded include new areas research such 4D Printing, Nano AM, Contour Crafting so on. However, proper understanding technology's actual potential benefits...

Circularity in manufacturing is critical to reducing raw material usage and waste. Ecological embeddedness examines circular relationships intended benefit both economic actors the natural environment. By understanding value chain, manufacturers can formulate strategies that are eco-effective. This work develops validates an original circularity tool measure ecological of using exploratory confirmatory factor analysis. The tested on process selling products United Kingdom. three main results...

A number of materials have been identified by the EU as being critical to their member's economies and manufacturing industries. material has defined if it is "high economic importance combined with a high risk supply shortage". This criticality will become increasingly acute escalating use finite resources continues, driven growing populations consumer demand. One group that listed top on majority these "critical" lists are rare earths, which include elements neodymium dysprosium. These...

Circular economy has gained momentum since the 1970s as a regenerative alternative to traditional linear economy. However, circular gone mainstream, circularity claims have become fragmented and remote, consisting of indirect contributions, such life extension other products use waste feedstock, without addressing actual cause waste. The present study aims identify strategic motivations manufacturers participating in corresponding relationship ecological embeddedness. This paper explores...

Abstract Unless strategies are adopted to ensure materials remain in circulation within the economy, manufacturing sector may be unable support increasing demand from a growing global population. The purpose of this research is present framework for manufacturers aid formulation ecologically embedded strategy. proposes five steps which integrate corporate, business, operations and sustainability strategy holistic manner with informing business Qualitative comparative analysis implemented...

Purpose Lean distributed manufacturing (LDM) is being considered as an enabler of achieving sustainability and resilience in supply chain operations. The purpose this paper to enhance the understanding how LDM characteristics affect companies by drawing upon experience food operating UK. Design/methodology/approach develops a conceptual model analyse impact on operational companies. A triangulation research methodology (secondary data analysis, field observations structured interviews) used...

Certain non-energy materials have been identified as being critical to the manufacturing sector and wider economy due having a high risk of supply disruption combined with economic importance. The criticality specific raw is becoming increasingly acute escalating use resources driven by an increasing global population. Critical are vital elements in value chain yet their may often be ineffectively addressed traditional management strategies. Most research date has focused at national or...

As resources become scarcer, efficiency improvements alone will not bridge the widening gap between supply and demand, resulting in need for additional non-financial mechanisms to ensure fairer allocation of resources.This paper asserts that, future, companies demonstrate their products' positive contribution society as well minimising negative environmental/social impacts.A review analysis existing tools assessment methodologies identifies current capabilities highlights 'Societal Value'...

Polymers are ubiquitous in modern manufactured products. The potential detrimental impacts of their end-of-life disposal have stimulated significant increases recycling rates. Recyclate purity is paramount; however this must be achieved with a positive net energy balance. Existing technologies for identification and separation polymers often both expensive intensive. This paper investigates Infrared (IR) imaging to extract information on thermal properties various product within line. An...

Whilst the importance of considering positive societal benefits a product, in addition to other social, economic and environmental factors, has received wider recognition, its definition, concept, integration into product design are not so well developed studied. A literature review on sustainable identified potential Social Life-Cycle Assessment as tool measure products; however further analysis assessment methods highlighted lack coherent definition method for achieving this. This paper...

Resource efficiency is one of the greatest challenges for sustainable manufacturing. Material flow in manufacturing systems directly influences resource efficiency, financial cost and environmental impact. A framework material assessment (MFAM) was applied to a complex multi-product case study. This supported identification options alter through changes product assembly design, improve overall eliminating intensive changeovers. Alternative designs were examined using combination intelligent...