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In the dynamic landscape of Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS), leading firms are challenged to uphold efficiency and quality in the assembly of printed circuit boards (PCB). With PCB technology rapidly advancing and becoming increasingly integral to various industries, there is a pressing demand for improved assembly techniques that can match the pace of innovation. This study tackles the essential requirement for enhanced precision and speed in the PCB assembly operations of the world's preeminent EMS provider. It addresses the challenges posed by time delays and the intricate coordination needed among component feeding, pick-and-place systems, and PCB positioning. Through the innovative combination of TRIZ methodology and Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), the research presents a simulation-based strategy for streamlining assembly paths. This approach empowers engineers to determine and apply the most effective parameters, achieving a notable 29.86% reduction in assembly time. Beyond boosting operational efficiency and supporting strategic planning in PCB assembly, this optimization also makes a significant environmental contribution by reducing energy consumption. The integration of simulation, ACO, and TRIZ techniques not only establishes new efficiency benchmarks for the EMS industry but also demonstrates a commitment to sustainable manufacturing practices, aligning productivity enhancements with environmental stewardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The draft Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) regulation mandates compliance with best available techniques (BATs) for textile manufacturers. A study in Turkish textile facilities, covering 56 units across four sub-sectors, assessed the status of 488 BATs through on-site visits and surveys. The aim was to gauge the sector's adherence to BATs. The findings revealed that 37% of surveyed BATs were fully implemented, rising to 88% when considering potential future implementations. This suggests a strong industry inclination toward adopting BATs for cleaner production and competitiveness. The study highlighted significant BAT-related investments in the textile sector, driven by environmental concerns, regulations, customer demands, resource efficiency, competition, and cost-benefit considerations. However, the study results also indicated that there is still much work to do for the implementation of some BATs. It was found that 60 BATs had lower implementation ratios (IR: 0%–3%). Lower IR values for these BATs are mainly due to factors like specificity, high costs, long payback periods, operational difficulties, limited expertise, space constraints, customer requirements, quality concerns, operational issues, and sector-specific challenges. The study recommends similar assessments in other European industrial sectors to evaluate compliance with mandatory BATs outlined in the Industrial Emissions Directive. The insights from this study on the Turkish textile sector can serve as a valuable guide for future evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to investigate the properties of biodegradable plantable pots made from biomaterials. Specifically, rapeseed straw and cow manure biomaterials were studied here because these biomaterials add nutrients to the soil during their biodegradation and are readily available agricultural by-products. Furthermore, the use of biomaterials helps in replacing the plastic materials which are currently used to make pots and decreases the environmental impact by producing a cleaner product. The physical and mechanical properties of biocomposites pots were investigated and optimized in the present work. The effect of mixing ratio (straw: cow manure) in the composite, straw particle size, and chemical pre-treatments of straw by 1% HCl or 2% NaOH on the physical and mechanical properties of biodegradable pots was investigated. Additionally, the Taguchi method and ANOVA statistical analyses were employed for parameters optimization. The results indicated the straw to cow manure ratio exhibited a significant effect on the compression strength (CS), penetration strength (PS), and water absorption (WA) of pots. While the CS and PS of pots decreased with increasing the ratio of straw from 2 to 10% and increasing the particle size of straw from 1.5 to 3.0 mm, these changes increased the water absorption of pots (126.52–141.21% for 1.5-mm untreated straw). Chemical pre-treatments of straw investigated here resulted in decreased CS and PS of pots. The straw ratio in the straw/manure mixture is the most significant factor affecting the characteristics of biodegradable pots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To control the diffusion of high concentrations of coal dust during tunnel boring and minimize the threat to the life and health of coal miners, theoretical analysis, numerical simulations, and field measurements were combined in this study. First, computational fluid dynamic simulation software was used to simulate the generation of dust particles and their transport pattern in the tunnel. Subsequently, an innovative orthogonal test was performed to study the effect of four ventilation parameters [the pressure airflow rate (Q), distance between the air duct center and heading face (LA), distance between the air duct center and tunnel floor (LB), and distance between the air duct center and nearest coal wall (LC)] on dust diffusion. According to the orthogonal test results, the optimal ventilation parameters for effective dust control are as follows: Q = 1400 m3/min, LA = 7 m, LB = 2.8 m, and LC = 1 m. The optimized set of ventilation parameters was applied to the Wangpo 3206 working face. The results show that dust diffusion in the tunnel was effectively controlled and that the air quality was sufficiently improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental issues are a priority in the development of the kenaf fiber industry globally, because kenaf fiber is considered an environmentally friendly vegetable fiber when used as a raw material. This is revealed from the retting process which is the main process in processing the kenaf plant into kenaf dry fiber. The purpose of this study was to determine the green productivity index on the upstream side of the kenaf fiber agro-industry network by mapping green value stream mapping. Based on the research that has been done, it can be concluded that there are 6 alternatives to clean production, 4 of which can add value to the waste and 2 of them are routine activities of the kenaf fiber agroindustry. Then the results of the GVSM Current State mapping on energy of 12,753.6 Joules, water as much as 32,810.1l, material as much as 14,340 kg, waste as much as 14,860 kg, emissions of 1,584 kg, and biodiversity as much as 4,000 kg. After the alternative production is carried out, the results of the GVSM Future State mapping are 11,159.4 Joules of energy, 32,810.1l of water, 14,340 kg of materials, 1,584 kg of emissions, and 4,000 kg of biodiversity. There was a reduction in energy in the form of human power of 1,594.2 Joules which was replaced by the use of machines. The GPI Current State value in the kenaf fiber agroindustry is 0.000759 and the GPI Future State value obtained is 0.001234. This means that the production alternatives given affect the increase in IE value and decrease in EI value from the kenaf fiber agroindustry so that the GPI Future State value produced is getting better so that the impact on the environment in the kenaf fiber agroindustry is decreasing.

The authors of the article decided to verify the requirements for companies looking for sources of financing for projects that will enable them to transform the circular economy. Clarifying the requirements will allow companies to initially verify their ideas. For this purpose, an analysis was carried out of the requirements set for enterprises by committees assessing circular economy projects and allocating funds for their implementation. The analysis allowed us to identify several features that indicate whether a given project fits into the circular economy model. The article proposes a system model that can be used to prepare the company for changes towards the Green Deal (GD) by implementing the Cleaner Production (CP) strategy in the company. The implementation of a Cleaner Production strategy initiates further changes, gradually developing the company's potential towards implementing the circular economy assumptions. This solution is much cheaper than the expensive services of consulting companies and much simpler than trying to prepare a competition application on your own, the authors asked themselves a research question: can the implementation of a Cleaner Production project be an initial action supporting SMEs in obtaining external funds (domestic and foreign) intended for the implementation of circular economy solutions? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clothing industry is considered one of the most polluting industries on the planet due to the high consumption of water, energy, chemicals/dyes, and high generation of solid waste and effluents. Faced with environmental concerns, the textile ennoblement sector is the most critical of the textile production chain, especially the traditional dyeing processes. As an alternative to current problems, dyeing with supercritical CO 2 (scCO 2) has been presented as a clean and efficient process for a sustainable textile future. Supercritical fluid dyeing (SFD) has shown a growing interest due to its significant impact on environmental preservation and social, economic, and financial gains. The main SFD benefits include economy and reuse of non-adsorbed dyes; reduction of process time and energy expenditure; capture of atmospheric CO 2 (greenhouse gas); use and recycling of CO 2 in SFD; generation of carbon credits; water-free process; effluent-free process; reduction of CO 2 emission and auxiliary chemicals. Despite being still a non-scalable and evolving technology, SFD is the future of dyeing. This review presented a comprehensive overview of the environmental impacts caused by traditional processes and confronted the advantages of SFD. The SFD technique was introduced, along with its latest advances and future perspectives. Financial and environmental gains were also discussed. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• It describes a process of vacuum carbothermal reduction-directional condensation. • The obtained yields of Sn and Pb are superior to other treatment techniques. • Vacuum technology has once again proved to be a very useful method. Sn ash recycling is an industry with positive development prospects, as it provides better-protected resources, promotes sustainable development, and lays a solid foundation for future development. In this study, an innovative vacuum carbothermal reduction-directional condensation process was developed. The thermodynamic analysis results indicated that the initial reaction pressure and temperature for the carbothermal reduction of the system was 1–10 Pa and 998–1063 K, respectively. The saturation vapor pressure, separation coefficient, and condensation temperature of Sn, Pb, and Zn in the reduced products differed significantly, and their separation could be achieved by controlling the volatilization and condensation temperatures. A single-factor experiment investigated the effects of carbon ratio, temperature, and time on the reduction efficiency, direct yield, and recovery rate. The optimal experimental conditions were the ratio of MeO to C of 4:1, temperature of 1373 K, and time of 120 min. Sn, Pb, and Zn products were obtained at different positions. This process shortens the traditional process, reduces the reduction cost of Sn, and enables the implementation of the process, making it environmentally friendly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was aimed to determine the specific resource use and reduction potential profiles in various textile sub-sectors (cotton woven fabric dyeing-finishing, wool woven fabric dyeing-finishing, synthetic woven fabric dyeing-finishing, cotton knitted fabric, synthetic knit fabric dyeing-finishing, non-woven fabric, dyeing-finishing of knitted fabric). The main focus was to elucidate opportunities for sustainability in terms of decreasing resource utilization in the textile sector. On-site surveys and detailed data collection studies were carried out at 150 textile facilities. Average specific values for water, auxiliary chemicals, dyestuff, electricity, and steam consumptions, and related reduction potentials were calculated and compared within facilities and sub-sectors. The minimum specific resource consumption values reported in the Best Available Techniques Reference Document (BREF) for the textile industry and data of similar facilities from the literature were evaluated and used. A detailed environmental performance profile of the Turkish textile sector in terms of resource usage and reduction potential was generated. The highest specific water consumption was found in the wool-woven fabric sub-sector (345 ± 262 L/kg product). Although the specific auxiliary chemical consumption shows similarities within sub-sectors, the highest specific auxiliary chemical consumption (397 ± 237 g/kg product) was found in the synthetic woven fabric sub-sector. The sub-sector with the highest specific dyestuff consumption (30 ± 13 g/kg product) was the cotton knitted fabric sub-sector. The wool woven fabric industry had the highest specific electricity (7 ± 5.3 kWh/kg product) and steam (20 ± 11 kg steam/kg product) consumption. In addition, for all the studied sub-sectors country-wide, the lowest and highest reduction potentials in resource uses were 18 ± 15% and 73 ± 13%, respectively, suggesting a need for major full-scale implementations of cleaner production for enhancing sustainability in the textile industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The building sector is responsible for disposing vast amounts of bags contaminated with Portland cement, which is not a noble solid waste for recycling and has a significant cost and environmental impact. There are still relatively few studies establishing destinations that meet the various feasibility criteria, but the number has increased gradually in recent years. This study aimed to analyze the final destination of residual cement bags and their possible reuse, separating documents with and without indexing in the Scopus database, highlighting the identification of the type of cement bag that emits the most carbon dioxide (CO2) in its life cycle, as well as the improvement of technical and environmental performance in more than 10 new materials where cement bags were reused replacing natural resources by up to 50% and a recent diagnosis on the problem of bags contaminated with Portland cement, including systematic bibliometric information. If Portland cement continues to be transported in bags, this work presents some of the alternatives that have been proposed for a cleaner production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the evolution of soda ash production methods, highlighting the shift towards more sustainable practices. It analyzes the environmental and economic challenges of traditional methods, including high energy consumption, pollution, and waste generation. The discussion progresses chronologically, examining obsolete natural methods and their gradual replacement by more efficient techniques like the Solvay Process. However, the production of calcium chloride (CaCl2) as a byproduct in the Solvay Process necessitates further advancements. The article explores promising alternatives such as modified Solvay methods utilizing external CO2 sources and exciting new frontiers like microbial-assisted production. Additionally, it delves into methods utilizing wastes like CaO (calcium oxide) and the potential of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and cyclic CO2, even though these may generate hydrochloric acid (HCl) as a byproduct. The primary focus remains on the potential of innovative methods based on physical and biological processes to achieve enhanced efficiency, decreased environmental impact, and reduced energy and resource demands.

In the contemporary landscape of advanced manufacturing, there is an increasing demand for machining processes that excel in both quality and energy efficiency. One of the prime objectives is to excel in an era of machining practices that are environmentally conscious and economically sustainable. This research addresses this challenge by undertaking a comprehensive exploration of multi-objective optimization, specifically tailored to address the machining challenges presented by Titanium Grade 3 alloy. A robust Taguchi-Grey integrated approach was adopted with research aim to strike an optimum balance among specific cutting energy, tool wear, surface finish, and material removal rate. The impact of machining inputs i.e., feed rate, cutting speed, and depth of cut were analyzed. Best machining setting was identified using grey relational analysis. Feed rate was identified as the most influential member affecting grey relational grade having contribution ratio of 73.95%. Furthermore, surface plots and contour plots were developed for aid of machinists on job floor in selection of best cutting conditions. Harnessing the usefulness of response surface optimization, the machinability was further enhanced by 9% reduction in specific cutting energy and 7% improvement in tool wear. However, it is imperative to acknowledge the trade-offs as a result of MOO; surface roughness increases by 12%, potentially necessitating additional post-processing steps.

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With respect to peak carbon and carbon neutrality, China's economic structure is developing towards low carbonization, circulation, and cleanliness. There is an urgent need to expand the scope of cleaner production audits, improve cleaner production efficiency, and promote cleaner production through regional coordination. The 14th Five-Year National Cleaner Production Implementation Plan proposed selecting 100 parks or industrial clusters to conduct an overall cleaner production audit innovation pilot. To promote the coordinated development of cleaner production areas, this study constructed a set of cleaner production index systems for industrial parks, established an evaluation model based on the binary semantic evaluation method, and selected an industrial park in central China as an audit pilot. The binary group θ 1 = (2 ,   − 0.1084) of the rating results was determined to be a cleaner production park. Based on the evaluation results, the clean production potential of the park was analyzed, and suggestions for clean production were put forward. Sixteen representative enterprises in the park were selected to build twenty-one ecological chains, providing reasonable suggestions for constructing a systematic and circular enterprise symbiosis network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil palm plantations always produce frond which becomes residue and unutilized. The frond processing through natural composting emits a significant amount of methane which is environmentally threatening. Also, traditional pyrolysis can convert it to stable biochar but still release CO2 as a greenhouse gas. For the purpose of cleaner biochar production, a two-box chamber pyrolyzer was utilized for its eminence in volatile gas recirculation to the fuel chamber. Pyrolysis of 1500 g of oil palm frond at 500 °C and holding time of 30 min succeeds to produce biochar that meets International Biochar Initiative (IBI) standards. It has a yield of 39.99% with highly porous biochar, calorific value of 22.55 MJ/kg, pyrolysis energy efficiency of 10.65%, and global warming potential of 1.351 kg-eq CO2/kg oil palm frond (53.2% lower than natural composting or 21.1% lower than traditional pyrolysis). From the economical potential aspect, biochar still can compete with other derivate products if it is processed into solid fuel in the form of briquette. Based on the properties, however, this biochar is strongly recommended for tailored soil amendment or planting medium because of its competitive selling value and no need for further processing cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing concern has been expressed about uranium (U) accumulation in agricultural soils caused by the long-term application of mineral fertilizers. More than 80% of naturally occurring U transfers from phosphate rock (PR), the raw material used in mineral fertilizer production, to phosphorus (P) fertilizers. These fertilizers are then distributed on agricultural soils, where the U could accumulate over time and become a risk to the environment. The objective of this work was to review the reported content of U in P fertilizers, its potential dispersion in soils, and its uptake by plants in different countries in the world as reported in the literature. The articles for this systematic review were selected from the Scopus database published between 2003 and 2022. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) protocol were used. A total of 54 articles were assessed based on the standard inclusion and exclusion criteria. U concentrations in P fertilizers, agricultural soil dissemination, and plant uptake for available data were obtained and assessed. In order to compare a set of related data from the collected articles, box and whisker plots showing the distribution of U in P fertilizers are presented by region. The results from the reviewed articles show that the U concentrations in P fertilizer were in the range of 0.1–653 mg kg−1. Interestingly, Minjingu P fertilizers from Tanzania, which are used in six East African countries, showed the highest U concentrations (159 to 653 mg kg−1, average 390 mg kg−1). The reported U concentrations for these fertilizers are, in fact, comparable to those of conventional low-grade uranium deposits mined in Namibia and elsewhere. Additionally, approximately 96% of the reviewed articles indicate that fertilized soil has higher U concentrations than non-fertilized soils, hinting at a measurable effect of mineral fertilizer use. The review recommends U extraction during mineral fertilizer production so that potential environmental risks can be reduced and U resources that would otherwise be lost can be recovered and used to substitute conventional U mining elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Food & Fermentation Industries is the property of Food & Fermentation Industries and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The current industrial and economic activities in Sindh Province, Pakistan, polluted the region's water, air, soil, and marine resources. However, there is a rising demand for eco-friendly production, and it is important to develop new policies and tools to combat environmental degradation and enhance economic development. Cleaner Production (CP) provides opportunities to address many of these issues. Employed method for this study was based on three approaches: a literature review and stakeholder mapping; a collection of data and information from key stakeholders through focal group discussions, consultative workshops, and one-on-one meetings; and analysis and synthesis of data that were gathered from different sources. The analysis of collected information provides an overview of CP strategies moving forward. Participant workshops gave in-depth information on policy implementation, technological impediments to methods that have been employed elsewhere, and needed capacity building as well as financial consequences of policy implementation. Through increasing financial resources and institutional resources, the expansion of CP will help to replace the conventional methods of waste treatment with an eco-efficiency approach to preventing pollution at the source, thus reducing the need for expensive pollution control and management costs for environmental compliance. Experiences, achievements, and implementation pitfalls from this study can provide a lesson to other developing countries to improve their economic and environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ayurveda hospitals generate biomedical wastes (BMW). However, details on composition, quantities and characteristics are very scarce, details which are important to formulate a proper waste management plan for subsequent implementation and continual improvement. Therefore, this article presents a mini review of the composition, quantities and characteristics of BMW generated from Ayurveda hospitals. Additionally, this article presents some best possible treatment and disposal procedures. Most of the information was gleaned from peer-reviewed journals, although some information was collected by the author and from grey literature available to the author; 70–99% (by wet weight) of the solid waste is non-hazardous; biodegradables contributing to 44–60% by wet weight due to more used Kizhi (medicinal bags for fomentation) and other medicinal/pharmaceutical wastes (excluding waste medicated oils, which is 12–15% of the liquid medicinal waste stream and are not readily biodegradable) largely derived from plants. The hazardous waste component includes infectious wastes, sharps, blood as pathological wastes (from Raktamoksha – bloodletting), heavy metal containing pharmaceutical wastes, chemical wastes and heavy metal rich wastes. Quantities of infectious wastes followed by sharps and blood form a major portion of hazardous wastes. Most of the infectious waste material contaminated with blood or other body fluids and sharps from Raktamoksha are very similar (appearance, moisture content and bulk density) to what is generated from hospitals practicing Western medicine. However, hospital-specific waste studies are required in future to better understand the sources, areas of generation, types, quantities and characteristics of BMW, and hence to formulate more accurate waste management plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In the current landscape marked by swift digital transformations and global disruptions, comprehending the intersection of digitalization and sustainable business practices is imperative. This study focuses on the food industries of China and Pakistan, aiming to explore the influence of digitalization on cleaner production. Methods: Employing a cross-sectional design, data were gathered through online surveys involving a diverse group of employees. Special attention was given to the emergent phenomenon of technostress and its subsequent implications for individuals in the workplace. Results: The findings of the study demonstrate a significant impact of digitalization on both resource mobilization and interaction quality within the surveyed food industries. Notably, technostress emerged as a mediating factor, shedding light on the psychological challenges associated with digital transitions. The study further reveals the moderating role of the COVID-19 pandemic, altering the dynamics among the variables under investigation. Discussion: From a theoretical perspective, this research contributes to the cleaner production literature by bridging it with the human-centric nuances of technological adaptation. On a practical level, the study emphasizes the importance of aligning digital strategies with resource mobilization to achieve sustainable outcomes. For the food industry and potentially beyond, the research offers a roadmap for integrating digital tools into operations, ensuring efficiency, and promoting cleaner production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steam explosion (SE) technology has been widely used to treat lignocellulosic materials for a long time. However, the investigation regarding SE applied for animal waste treatment is limited. With an increase in the demand for and consumption of meat, the annual production of various animal by-products, such as animal keratinous waste and bone waste, is also increasing in slaughterhouses. Therefore, a green method for disposing of these by-products is needed. In this article, the current SE devices, together with their characteristics and applications in wool, feather, hoof, and animal bone, are reviewed systematically. Different SE conditions result in the production of varying final products, from which keratin and other constituents (protein, lipid, or carbohydrate) can be extracted. Additionally, under proper conditions, SE can induce the liquefaction of animal wastes, such as porcine hoof shells, bovine bone, and even the whole chicken carcass. The advantages and limitations of the SE technology employed for treating animal waste were analyzed. Simultaneously, the reasons SE is used to treat animal keratin and bone wastes were also discussed. This review highlights the potential application of SE technology in efficiently liquefying animal wastes for bio-safety disposal and cleaner production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Agricultural Outlook (1673-3908) is the property of Institute of Agricultural Information, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This research investigates the intricate relationships between Environmental Management Control Systems (EMCS), Blockchain Adoption (BCHA), Cleaner Production (CLPR), Product Efficiency (PROD), Environmental Reputation (ENRE), and Environmental Performance (ENPE) within organizational contexts in Indonesia. The study aims to shed light on the role of technology adoption, sustainability practices, and reputation management in shaping environmental outcomes. Methodologically, the research employs a quantitative approach, utilizing survey data from diverse organizations. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyzes the data and tests the hypothesized relationships. The findings reveal significant positive relationships between EMCS and BCHA, EMCS and CLPR, EMCS and PROD, BCHA and CLPR, BCHA and PROD, and BCHA and ENRE. Cleaner Production demonstrates a substantial positive impact on both ENRE and ENPE. Product Efficiency influences ENRE positively. However, the direct influence of PROD on ENPE is found to be inconclusive. The study contributes to understanding sustainability dynamics by highlighting the pivotal roles of EMCS, BCHA, CLPR, and PROD in driving environmental reputation and performance within organizations. Furthermore, it underscores the significance of aligning perceived reputation with tangible environmental commitment. Limitations include potential data constraints and the challenge of establishing causality due to the study's correlational nature. Future research is encouraged to explore diverse contexts, conduct in-depth case studies, and investigate moderating variables. This research offers novel insights into the complex interplay between technology adoption, sustainability practices, reputation management, and environmental outcomes, providing valuable guidance for organizations striving to navigate the sustainability landscape in an era of heightened environmental awareness.

Insect resistant genetically modified Bt cotton (containing a gene of Bacillus thuringiensis) has substantial potentiality of mounting cotton productivity. This study unveils an early insight on the economic viability of Bt cotton in Bangladesh. A total of 248 traditional cotton farmers and 8 Bt cotton experimental fields were surveyed in April 2022 for achieving the objectives. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings showed that the cost of Bt cotton production was slightly higher than that of conventional cotton. However, Bt cotton yielded a productivity increase of 0.81 t/ha. The cultivation of Bt cotton resulted in a higher net return (USD 2436/ha) compared to conventional cotton (USD 1624/ha). The results further indicated that the use of insecticides and pesticides in Bt cotton was significantly lower compared to traditional cotton, thereby contributing to the preservation of the natural environment. Overall, cultivation of Bt cotton is economically viable and may generate environmental benefits. Steps are warranted to disseminate and expand its cultivation.

This paper presents a green manufacturing-recycling network design approach for multi-echelon electronic assembly process under a complex product mix scenario which incorporates trade-off between economic cost and heavy metal pollutants. The approach is developed by formulating the green manufacturing-recycling network into a closed-loop logistics bi-objective optimisation model, in order to alleviate negative environmental influence by applying proper cleaner production technologies. The environmental influence is quantified by pollution equivalent numbers which are integrated in the model. Moreover, the volume of the heavy metal pollutants is optimised by selecting the cleaner production level and thus is jointly coordinated with the operation cost. To solve the bi-objective optimisation model, an enhanced global criterion approach is presented to improve the effectiveness on dealing with non-convexity of the Pareto-optimal frontier with computational efficient solutions. The proposed model is implemented on a case study to verify its flexibility to handle the closed-loop manufacturing-recycling network design of different sizes, as well as to obtain trade-off between operation cost and environmental influence by the heavy metal pollutants under various scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of GeSec: Revista de Gestao e Secretariado is the property of Sindicato das Secretarias e Secretarios do Estado de Sao Paulo (SINSESP) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present study highlights the differences/similarities in the sinter's microstructure that are essentially caused due to the adjustment in the fuel framework. In general, sintering draws energy from fuel to initiate the melt phase formation which is significant for sinter bond formation. Thus, it is possible that changing the fuel and its proportion may reflect various phenomena while sintering, and that can propagate changes in the mineralogy, morphology and subsequently the sinter strength and metallurgical properties. Here, two types of sinters (a) conventional coke based sinter and (b) biomass-coke blend based sinter at 70:30 ratio are assessed based on the comparative investigation of the microstructural and morphological aspects, which further relate to the sinter indices. Sinters are characterized for acquiring its internal chemistry, phase transitions, phase identification, textural transformations, bond phase distribution, elemental distribution, and metallurgical indices. The findings are similar for both the sinter types that concluded the technical feasibility of the biomass blend based sinters. When biomass proportion went higher than 30%, the extent of phase transition started to subside, and some unreacted hematite phases started to surface as the effect of under-heating. Although, 30% coke substitution with biomass feasibly ensured a cleaner sinter production with energy sustainability without compromising the internal chemistry nexus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-consumer soft plastics often face inadequate management practices, posing threats to both human life and the environment while also leading to the loss of valuable recyclable materials when not recycled. Traditional mechanical recycling methods are unsuitable for waste soft plastics due to their thin and flimsy nature. This study presents an effective, user-friendly process for converting waste soft plastics into new products, generating value, and expediting their collection and recycling without the need for pelletization. The outcome of this process was compared with products derived from traditional recycling and commercially available alternatives through various analytical techniques including tensile testing, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The findings suggest that waste soft plastics can be transformed into flexible sheets without significant alterations to their properties. In particular, the ultimate tensile strength of samples recycled using the developed process in this study and traditional recycling were found to be 25.9 ± 0.4 and 25.2 ± 0.8 MPa, respectively, surpassing commercially available products by nearly 15 MPa. Additionally, a life cycle assessment revealed that producing flexible sheets from waste soft plastics using this innovative approach, rather than virgin polymer, could reduce fossil fuel depletion and global warming by 99.4% and 94.6%, respectively. This signifies the potential of the process to mitigate environmental pollution and produce high-quality products exclusively from 100% waste plastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green technology innovation helps to improve both economic and environmental performance simultaneously. How to invest in green technology innovation under emission trading policy is a current issue worthy of attention. However, existing research has not delved into the choices of different green technology innovation models, namely cleaner production technology and end-of-pipe technology, available to firms and governments under the joint implementation of other policies. Thus, this paper studies the optimal model of green technology innovation under emission trading policy and emission tax policy by constructing a two-stage game model suitable for complex decision analysis. The results show that regardless of the value of emission trading price, the optimal green technology innovation choice of the firms is cleaner production technology. Furthermore, the results show that neither conflict nor consistency always exists between governments' and firms' choices. When the emission trading price is high, the choice of governments and firms is in conflict; when the emission trading price is low, the choice of the two is consistent, both prefer cleaner production. This study not only enriches the existing research in theory but also provides support for governments to guide the choice of firms and achieve a win–win situation in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to resource limitations and challenges caused by accelerating climate change, meeting the world's growing nutritional needs in a more sustainable way has become an essential global need. One of the strategies for sustainable agriculture is crop rotation. Research on the analysis of the energy consumption of consecutive cultivation has been conducted in many regions of the world. However, the sustainability of crop rotation thermodynamically has not been studied so far. So, in this study farmers were not only ask about the amount of inputs used to produce mungbean, but also, the name of the previous crop. Data were collected based on the pre-mungbean crop (barley, canola, and wheat) and then divided into three groups: wheat–mungbean (WM), barley–mungbean (BM), and canola–mungbean (CM). Considering that the aim of legume cultivation is also to provide protein, this study proposed a new approach to determine the sustainability based on the amount of protein produced for human consumption. The results showed that fuel and chemical fertilizer inputs have the most significant effects on energy use and greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in all three agroecosystems. Although manure input has a small share in energy consumption and GHG emissions, it is the most important input in the exergy and unsustainability of all three agroecosystems. According to the results, WM is the most sustainable system if a kg of mungbean is considered as a functional unit. However, BM is the most sustainable agroecosystem if a kg of protein is considered as a functional unit. The CM agroecosystem is the most unsustainable regardless of the criterion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, monoglycerides (MG) are produced using a complicated energy-intensive technology that contributes negatively toward greenhouse gas mitigation. This work suggests a cleaner and simpler one-step enzymatic production of α-monolaurin in an inert membrane reactor, where the reaction and enzyme separation are conducted simultaneously in one unit. Candida antarctica lipase (Lipozyme 435) was used to catalyze the esterification reaction between lauric acid and glycerin in a solvent-free system under mild temperatures. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the reaction conditions. The optimal conditions were a molecular sieve of 14.85% w/w, a temperature of 56.95 °C, an enzyme amount of 5.38% w/w, and a molar ratio of 4.75% w/w. The gas chromatography (GC) analysis showed that the α-monolaurin percentage was 49.5% when the enzymatic process (ENZ) was used. The conventional chemical (CHEM) and autocatalytic (AUT) esterification methods were also performed to study their proportional MG yields. The GC results showed the MG percentages of 43.9 and 41.7% for CHEM and AUT, respectively. Economic analysis was also conducted for the suggested enzymatic technique, and the findings were compared with those of the CHEM and AUT technologies. Using a plant capacity of 4950 t/year and 11% interest for the proposed ENZ process, the total capital investment of α-monolaurin production was preferably four times less than that of the CHEM process and three times less than that of the AUT method, presenting investment possibilities. However, the ENZ process showed the least profitability (net profit per day) among the three processes. Nevertheless, the return on investment and net present value for the ENZ process were preferably higher than those of CHEM and AUT because of its interestingly lower inside battery limit plant cost and less energy consumption. The AUT/CHEM processes generated a total carbon dioxide (CO2) exhaust of 678.7 t CO2 eq./year. In contrast, the ENZ process exhausted a total CO2 of only 50 t CO2 eq./year. The present integrated techno-economic and environmental study of α-monolaurin production emphasizes the green and cost benefits of the proposed ENZ technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste management is a crucial issue for maintaining the environment and caring for people's health. Since a wide array of people and communities are exposed to dangers from exceeding the production and growth rate of waste, the efficiency of waste management benefits everyone. This measure requires logical and precise planning. The primary aim of this paper is to categorize waste generation management to preserve the well-being of public health, the environment, and environmental resources. Waste management with the cooperation and collective efforts of citizens, businesses, industries, and government, can continue to enhance materials' reuse, recycling the whole solid wastes resources. Reducing the excess production of materials is the primary goal of this project. It has been proved that prevention is better than remedy in most cases, thereby proposing green production as an answer. Green production, alongside cleaner production, is seeking prevention innovations, protecting the environment by analysing the flow of materials and energy throughout the manufacturing process. In this regard, this study reviews and summarizes the related research to identify proper options for minimizing the waste materials, energy, and emissions from industrial processes, through strategies for the optimal utilization and application of resources. The reviewed papers are classified into oversees the prerequisite steps for management strategies before and after waste generation. Finally, research gaps have been reported to identify areas for future study. The obtained results showed that in approaching waste, more studied materials are dedicated to waste management but not to prevention or waste minimization before its inception. Furthermore, the best manners in waste management to protect the environment are prioritized, respectively, at first prevention, secondly waste minimization, thereafter recycling the manufactured wastes to hasten the delivery to the landfills and lessen the amount of transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduced graphene oxide is a nanomaterial with an ultrathin 2-dimensional structure, one of the most utilizing materials, which has been extensively applied in several down-stream purposes owing to its good optical, mechanical, physical, and thermal properties. The most reliable and widely used methods to get high quantity and quality of reduced graphene oxide is by chemical synthetic pathway. However, in the process of deoxygenated graphene oxide synthesis, the chemicals involved in the reaction are extremely hazardous. From this point of view, scientists have put in their effort in finding environmentally friendly methods to replace the use of a hazardous chemical reductant. Medicinal phytoextract reveals another route that can be an excellent reductant to reduce graphene oxide, due to the presence of phenolics, alkaloids, lipids, proteins, carbohydrate, terpenoids, and other nitrogen-containing compounds. Since the nature of phytoextract is clean and non-poisonous, the reduced graphene oxide obtained by using medicinal phytoextract as a reductant can then be applied in biomedical applications. This review presents the methods to synthesize graphene oxide by different approaches using various medicinal phytoextracts as a biological reductant to reduce graphene that could motivate researchers to generate and improve the cleaner methods for industrial-scale production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stakeholder pressure is among the pathways through which firms are being prodded to adopt environmental management practices. Owing to research paucity from the context of developing countries and overall inconclusiveness, this research investigates whether mimetic, normative, and coercive pressures (which encompass stakeholder pressure) sway firms into adopting resource management and energy efficiency. An analysis of data from 852 firms in Kenya using a simple probit model, suggests that all the three types of stakeholder pressure positively influenced corporate resource management and energy efficiency. This augments our postulations on both stakeholder and neo-institutional theories. Based on these findings, it is plausible to view stakeholders as critical 'tools' that can foster corporate sustainability initiatives in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apparel companies that corner the market, in line with their sustainability strategies, are looking for options that will cause the least harm to the environment, and life cycle analysis (LCA) approach is widely used for this purpose. The aim of this study is to determine the environmental effects of a hoodie with the LCA and to evaluate different alternatives for more sustainable production of this product. LCA studies were carried out with data obtained from the field of a factory that performs garment operations. The functional unit is a ready-toshipping hoodie, and first of all, the current environmental impacts of this product were determined with a cradle-to-gate approach. Then, the boundary of the gate-to-gate was used to determine the improvements that could be made only in the garment stage. Within the scope of the study, four scenarios were generated and the environmental effects of each scenario were compared with the current situation. Life cycle analyzes were performed with GaBi 6.0 LCA software. The selected impact category method is CML-2001. As a result of the evaluations, the best results were obtained with Scenario 5, which represents the use of biodiesel as a fuel type in transportation together with the use of renewable energy sources in all applications. With this scenario, reductions of 74.40%, 84.32% and 60.91% were determined in the effect categories of global warming, acidification and abiotic depletion, respectively, according to the current situation (Scenario 1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a life-cycle environmental policy aiming at a more thorough control of pollution, what is the economic impact of cleaner production regulation on firms? We identify the impact of cleaner production regulation on firms' ratio of domestic value added in exports in a difference-in-differences framework with the quasi-natural experiment created by China's industry-level Cleaner Productions Standards based on the Chinese Customs Transaction-level Trade Statistics dataset and Chinese Annual Survey of Industrial Firms dataset between 2002 and 2013. It shows that cleaner production regulation helps to improve firms' ratio of domestic value added in exports. Meanwhile, firms' productivity, factor inputs market maturity and intermediate inputs market maturity positively promote while pollution intensity negatively moderates the impact of cleaner production regulation on firms' ratio of domestic value added in exports. These results imply that the implementation of the cleaner production regulation policy and the international competitiveness of domestic firms do not conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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