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Cleaner Production in Contemporary Operations

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 14872

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Prof. Dr. Geraldo Cardoso de Oliveira Neto

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Business Administration and Industrial Engineering Post-Graduation Program, FEI University, Tamandaré Street, 688-5 Floor, 01525-000 Liberdade, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Interests: cleaner production; sustainability; sustainable development; circular economy; Industry 4.0
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Prof. Dr. Marlene Amorim

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Department of Economics Management Industrial engineering and Tourism, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-192 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: service operations; service quality; innovation; digitalization
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Prof. Dr. João Carlos de Oliveira Matias

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GOVCOPP, Department of Economics, Management, Industrial Engineering and Tourism, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: sustainability in general; sustainable energy systems; sustainable industrial engineering and management; sustainable management systems: quality and sustainability; maintenance and sustainability; occupational health and safety and sustainability; sustainable energy; sustainable and lean production; circular economy
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Prof. Dr. Moacir Godinho Filho

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EM Normandie Business School, Le Havre, France
Interests: supply chain management; operations management; sustainable operations; Industry 4.0; production planning and control; lean manufacturing; quick-response manufacturing
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Prof. Dr. Luiz Fernando Rodrigues Pinto

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Industrial Engineering Post-Graduation Program, Universidade Nove de Julho (UNINOVE), Vergueiro Street, 235/249-12 Floor, 01504-001 Liberdade, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Interests: sustainable manufacturing; sustainability; sustainable development; circular economy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The concept of cleaner production, created by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), leads to the integration of preventive environmental strategies into processes, products, and services which aim to increase the efficiency while minimizing risks to individuals and the ecosystem (Oliveira Neto et al., 2019). Cleaner production programs have continued to enhance the levels of global awareness towards environmental protection and preservation of natural resources. The adoption of cleaner production practices has had an impact on the continuously decrease in the consumption of natural resources while enabling cost savings in the production systems. The fast pace of technological development has drastically changed the business workplace. Digital technologies require prompt and effective adequacy of processes, which can leverage or decrease the economic, environmental, and social performances. In this sense, there is an opportunity to deepen the knowledge on the use of cleaner production practices across different business sectors. This Special Issue aims to gather contributions of cleaner production practices in the context of contemporary operations, characterized by digital transformation.

The Special Issue aimd to attract original research work addressing the following topics, but are not limited to:

advances of cleaner production in operational processes;
cleaner production and operations management;
digital technologies for cleaner production;
barriers of adoption cleaner production practices;
challenges of cleaner production to enhance sustainability;
impacts of cleaner production for sustainable development;
collaboration and stakeholder involvement in cleaner production;
cleaner production in circular business models.

Some relevant references on the subject:

1. de Oliveira Neto, G.C., Correia, J.M.F., Silva, P.C., Sanches, A.G.O., Lucato, W.C. (2019). Cleaner Production in the textile industry and its relationship to sustainable development goals. Journal of Cleaner Production. 228, 1514-1525.
2. Cesar da Silva, P., Cardoso de Oliveira Neto, G., Ferreira Correia, J.M., Pujol Tucci, H.N. (2021). Evaluation of economic, environmental and operational performance of the adoption of cleaner production: Survey in large textile industries. Journal of Cleaner Production, 278, 123855.
3. Oliveira Neto, G.C.D., Tucci, H.N.P., Correia, J.M.F., da Silva, V.H.C., Ganga, G.M.D. (2020). Assessing the implementation of Cleaner Production and company sizes: Survey in textile companies. Journal of Engineered Fibers and Fabrics, 15.
4. Leite, R., Amorim, M., Rodrigues, M., Neto, G.O. (2019). Overcoming barriers for adopting cleaner production: A case study in Brazilian small metal-mechanic companies. Sustainability (Switzerland), 11(17), 4808.
5. Pinto, L.F.R., Venturini, G.F.P., Digiesi, S., Facchini, F., Neto, G.C.O. (2020). Sustainability assessment in manufacturing under a strong sustainability perspective—an ecological neutrality initiative. Sustainability (Switzerland), 12(21), pp. 1–40, 9232.
6. Neto, G.C.D.O., Tucci, H.N.P., Correia, J.M.F., da Silva, D., Amorim, M.(2021). Stakeholders’ influences on the adoption of cleaner production practices: A survey of the textile industry. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 26, pp. 126–145.

Prof. Dr. Geraldo Cardoso de Oliveira Neto
Prof. Dr. Marlene Amorim
Prof. Dr. João Carlos de Oliveira Matias
Prof. Dr. Moacir Godinho Filho
Prof. Dr. Luiz Fernando Rodrigues Pinto
Guest Editors

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Keywords

cleaner production
sustainable development
sustainability
digital technologies
operations management

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 2880 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biofuel in the Automotive Sector: Viability of Sugarcane Ethanol

by Julio Cesar Marques, Fernando Gasi and Sergio Ricardo Lourenço

Sustainability 2024, 16(7), 2674; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su16072674 - 25 Mar 2024

Viewed by 596

Abstract

In Brazil, sugarcane ethanol competes directly with gasoline as a fuel for motor vehicles, emerging as a challenging biofuel to traditional fossil fuels. The problem this article solves and presents is the Return on Energy Investment (EROI) for the production cycle of first-generation ethanol derived from sugarcane in the central-southern region of Brazil, with the main objective to compare this EROI with the gasoline marketed in Brazil, as documented in the scientific literature. The methodology for the energy analysis of the ethanol production cycle is the ratio between the energy present in a quantity of sugarcane delivered for processing and the energy consumption required for the entire process. This analysis occurs from the agricultural phase through the distribution phase of ethanol for consumption, enabling the calculation of the EROI of sugarcane ethanol and a comparative assessment with the EROI values of the gasoline marketed in Brazil. The results for EROI of sugarcane ethanol fluctuate between 8.20 and 6.52. Therefore, for each unit of energy utilized in processing ethanol, 6.52 to 8.20 units of energy are available for end use. In contrast, the EROI values for gasoline range between 2.34 and 5.50, underscoring the competitive advantage of ethanol in this context. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cleaner Production in Contemporary Operations)

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25 pages, 1026 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrated Service Architecture to Promote the Circular Economy in Agriculture 4.0

by Walter Augusto Varella, Geraldo Cardoso de Oliveira Neto, Eduardo Stefani, Ivanir Costa, Rogério Carlos Monteiro, Wilians Conde, Wanderley da Silva Junior, Rolney Carlos Baptestone, Roberto de Souza Goes, Rosangela Riccotta, Marcos Antonio Gaspar, Paulo Ribeiro Felisoni, Fabio Kazuo Ohashi, Hugo do Nascimento, Aguinaldo Aragon Fernandes and Fellipe Silva Martins

Sustainability 2024, 16(6), 2535; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su16062535 - 20 Mar 2024

Viewed by 769

Abstract

Innovation has been the transforming tool of precision agriculture as a response to population growth and the demand for more food with quality, less waste, food security, and sustainable management of environmental resources. The challenges are to increase the productivity of cultivated areas, both for current and future areas, to manage the use of potable water, scarce in many regions, to keep the soil fertile, and to reduce waste through reuse, optimization, resource sharing, and operational and strategic management based on accurate information of planting, harvesting, and management of environmental conditions, which are also objectives of the Circular Economy. Therefore, using Industry 4.0 technologies in agriculture becomes fundamental to facing such challenges. This paper presents a systematic literature review on Industry 4.0 technologies adopted in agriculture for sustainable development, considering environmental, economic, and social benefits. The research pointed to the use of IoT in irrigation control systems by sending automatic commands, monitoring soil and weather conditions, in the use of machinery with some automation features and in cloud data storage systems, and with the use of Big Data analytical tools, with access by mobile devices, these uses contribute to operational and strategic decision making in the management of planting and harvesting. However, the literature review did not find a technological architecture for Integrated Services in Agriculture 4.0. Thus, this paper proposes a Service Architecture that enables the promotion of a Circular Economy in Agriculture 4.0. The contribution of this article to the theory is in the expansion of knowledge of the use of technologies in Agriculture 4.0. In terms of practice, this article provides an Integrated Service Architecture so that new products can be developed for Agriculture 4.0 and thus contribute to society in reducing food insecurity, generating environmental, economic, and social benefits, and promoting the Circular Economy in Agriculture 4.0. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cleaner Production in Contemporary Operations)

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23 pages, 1053 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Toward Cleaner Production by Evaluating Opportunities of Saving Energy in a Short-Cycle Time Flowshop

by Marcos Manoel Lopes Junior, Claudia Aparecida de Mattos and Fábio Lima

Sustainability 2024, 16(6), 2455; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su16062455 - 15 Mar 2024

Viewed by 509

Abstract

Energy efficiency is a critical component in cleaner production, and evaluating the opportunities for saving energy could improve energy efficiency by reducing electricity consumption and increasing competitiveness. In this context, the aim of this study is to examine different scenarios that can lead to better energy efficiency in a short-cycle time flowshop, which is performed with the aid of digital manufacturing software. It has been widely acknowledged in the literature that changing the energy state of machines in short-cycle time flowshop manufacturing is impossible due to the high production volume, which requires the machines to operate full time. We used computational simulation, via digital manufacturing software, to examine the potential for improvements in energy indicators through various scenarios. The scenarios were built using energy and manufacturing data from a real system. The main contribution is in showing that, by controlling the buffers’ occupation, the feeding systems of the machines and planned introduction stop. In addition, it is possible to consider new energy states for the machines and, consequently, enhance the energy, as well as the sustainability, indicators in this type of manufacturing process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cleaner Production in Contemporary Operations)

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23 pages, 2379 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Industry 4.0 Technologies Promote Micro-Level Circular Economy but Neglect Strong Sustainability in Textile Industry

by Geraldo Cardoso de Oliveira Neto, Luiz Fernando Rodrigues Pinto, Dirceu de Silva, Flavio Luiz Rodrigues, Fabio Richard Flausino and Douglas Eldo Pereira de Oliveira

Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 11076; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su151411076 - 15 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1304

Abstract

Large textile industries are deploying Industry 4.0 Technologies (I4.0T) aiming to develop a micro-level circular economy (CECP), considering cleaner production practices as a strategic tool. However, due to the environmental impact generated by the textile industry, it has not yet achieved Strong Sustainability (SS), denoting an important path to be pursued by managers and shareholders in view of meeting the 2030 agenda. With this, the objective of this study is to evaluate whether the adoption of I4.0T promotes CECP-driving SS actions in large textile industries located in Brazil. A survey was the research method adopted, and for data analysis, structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses and Pearson correlation between variables. It was concluded that the adoption of I4.0T promotes CECP. However, they neglect SS actions. Facilitators for CECP practices were big data, augmented reality, and autonomous robots. In terms of SS, I4.0T has a low impact on increasing resource consumption efficiency, reusing waste as input in other processes, and increasing access to commodities. This research contributes to the linking I4.0T, CECP, and SS theory. Moreover, with the dissemination of knowledge to managers about the I4.0T that generates the CECP, it is possible to develop sustainable strategies in operations. However, to move in this direction, it is essential that there is a collective effort of the government, companies, and society, starting by raising awareness about the importance of SS in the textile sector. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cleaner Production in Contemporary Operations)

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18 pages, 646 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Intelligent Clustering Techniques for the Reduction of Chemicals in Water Treatment Plants

by André Felipe Henriques Librantz and Fábio Cosme Rodrigues dos Santos

Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6579; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15086579 - 13 Apr 2023

Viewed by 877

Abstract

Currently, the use of intelligent models for decision making in the water treatment process is very important, as many plants support their implementation with the aim of obtaining economic, social, and environmental gains. Nevertheless, for these systems to be properly modeled, the data should be carefully selected so that only those that represent good operating practices are used. Thus, this study proposes an approach for identifying water quality and operational scenarios using the expectation maximisation (EM) and self-organising maps (SOMs) techniques when using data from a water treatment plant. The results showed that both techniques were able to identify quantities of different scenarios, some similar and others different, allowing for the evaluation of differences in a robust way. The EM technique resulted in fewer scenarios when compared with the SOMs technique, including in the cluster selection process. The results also indicated that an intelligent model can be trained with data from the proposed clustering, which improves its prediction capacity under different operating conditions; this can lead to savings in chemical product usage and less waste generation throughout the water treatment process, which is in good agreement with cleaner production practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cleaner Production in Contemporary Operations)

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23 pages, 1642 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Maritime Bilateral Connectivity Analysis for Sustainable Maritime Growth: Case of Morocco

by Samia Bouazza, Zoubida Benmamoun and Hanaa Hachimi

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 4993; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15064993 - 10 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1515

Abstract

On the African continent, Morocco is considered among the most connected countries, according to the liner shipping connectivity index. Since optimal shipping connectivity can reduce CO₂ emissions and trade costs, through this paper we aimed to deepen the understanding of maritime connectivity based on the bilateral maritime connectivity index of Morocco and 138 of its economic partners. We first established an overview of the evolution of the bilateral maritime connectivity in Morocco and highlighted its main regional maritime partners, then defined through a statistical analysis the factors influencing the development of the bilateral maritime links of the country in order to strengthen sustainable maritime connectivity. The results of the descriptive analysis show that Morocco has developed strong maritime connections with Europe and the East of Asia and has an improved connectivity with East African countries (2006–2020). The statistical analysis of the selected factors using regression analysis combined with a gravity model shows that there has been a strong and positive impact of economic growth, logistics, linear connectivity and the maritime component, and bilateral connectivity. Moreover, economic trade and barriers have had no significant effects on bilateral connectivity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cleaner Production in Contemporary Operations)

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18 pages, 1502 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Industry 4.0 Implementation Projects: The Cleaner Production Strategy—A Literature Review

by Walter Cardoso Satyro, Jose Celso Contador, Sonia Francisca de Paula Monken, Anderson Ferreira de Lima, Gilberto Gomes Soares Junior, Jansen Anderson Gomes, João Victor Silva Neves, José Roberto do Nascimento, Josiane Lima de Araújo, Eduardo de Siqueira Correa and Leandro Simplício Silva

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2161; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15032161 - 24 Jan 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3863

Abstract

The industrial impacts on the environment need to be minimized to reduce climate change, which will benefit human beings. Industry 4.0, the new production paradigm, promises productivity gains for companies that manage to implement it, but it is also dependent on natural resources, impacting the environment. The aim of this study is to identify and analyze possible cleaner production strategies associated with Industry 4.0 to optimize manufacturing systems in Industry 4.0 implementation projects, in addition to reducing the environmental impacts of these companies. Through a literature search, cleaner production strategies associated with Industry 4.0 were identified and classified into ten dimensions (strategy, waste, recycling, life cycle, resources, energy, production, work, performance and environment) contributing to the theory. The possibilities of using Industry 4.0 technologies were analyzed to meet each dimension. The relevance of this study lies in presenting possibilities for using and developing technologies and applications to meet these dimensions of cleaner production and helping those involved in Industry 4.0 projects to implement it more stably, contributing to the theory and practice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cleaner Production in Contemporary Operations)

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20 pages, 3261 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Life Cycle Assessment in the Agri-Food Supply Chain: Fresh Versus Semi-Finished Based Production Process

by Francesco Boenzi, Salvatore Digiesi, Francesco Facchini and Bartolomeo Silvestri

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13010; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142013010 - 11 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2154

Abstract

The agri-food supply chain is responsible for high GHG emissions. In industrial food processing, there is potential for reducing environmental impacts. In the case of apricot jam, several practices for realizing the finished product can be adopted. If, on the one hand, the scientific literature provides detailed studies on the economic aspects of the existing practices, on the other hand, a comprehensive assessment of the most common production practices from an environmental perspective is not provided. Apricot jam production can be based on two different kinds of raw materials: fresh fruit and the so-called “semi-finished product”, which is obtained by treating fresh fruits with mechanical and thermal processes. The most extended shelf-life of the semi-finished product allows for the adoption of more flexible production practices, leading to increased production performance and ensuring more efficient transportation strategies. In environmental terms, the convenience of this approach compared to adopting fresh fruit is questionable. The aim of this paper is to compare the environmental impacts due to these two different production and transport practices of apricot jam. Consistent with this end, a Life Cycle Assessment methodology has been adopted to evaluate the environmental impact of each step in the apricot jam supply chain. Research results suggest that the use of fresh apricots in the production of jams has a lower environmental impact (about 50–65% without considering transport activities) than the use of semi-finished products, and that losses due to the short shelf-life of fresh fruit limits the transportation distance of the raw and fresh material, also depending on the transport mode adopted (in the range of 875–4450 km). This highlights the need to adopt more clean and sustainable practices in the current industrial food processes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cleaner Production in Contemporary Operations)

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15 pages, 1260 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prioritizing Cleaner Production Actions towards Circularity: Combining LCA and Emergy in the PET Production Chain

by Gustavo Bustamante, Biagio Fernando Giannetti, Feni Agostinho, Gengyuan Liu and Cecília M. V. B. Almeida

Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6821; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14116821 - 02 Jun 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1771

Abstract

Petrochemicals, which convert oil and gas into products such as plastics, are fundamental to modern societies. Chemists recognize their role in designing materials and the adverse effects that these may have on the environment, preventing sustainable development. Several methodological frameworks and sustainability assessment approaches have been developed to evaluate the resources used in the petrochemical sector in terms of environmental costs. Still, there is a need to evaluate these systems in terms of environmental costs deeply. A combination of life cycle assessment and emergy accounting—to assess the environmental support for resource use—is applied in this study of the PET production chain in Europe. The unit emergy values of several intermediates are calculated or updated to facilitate the discernment of the quality of energy used and the processes’ efficiency. Several routes for synthesizing renewable para-xylene and ethylene glycol from biomass are discussed and confronted with the efforts focused on recycling and recovering the final product, providing concurrently a procedure and a valuable data set for future CP actions. The results show that understanding the efficiencies changing across the production chain may help stakeholders decide where and when interventions to promote a circular economy are most effective along a petrochemical production chain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cleaner Production in Contemporary Operations)

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