Doing well by doing good: Sustainable manufacturing strategies and opportunities through ‘lean and green’ thinking
Author(s)
Caldera, H
Desha, C
Les, D
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2018
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
With growing calls internationally for manufacturing efficiency and waste reduction, sustainable business practice has evolved over the last few decades as an aspiration for many industries. Despite constant attention on ‘sustainability’ it is still unclear on how exactly the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) could holistically embed sustainable business practice into their daily business operations. This paper explores the role of lean and green thinking in implementing cost-effective sustainable manufacturing practices, drawing on findings from multiple case studies. The authors have adopted an interpretive case ...
View more >With growing calls internationally for manufacturing efficiency and waste reduction, sustainable business practice has evolved over the last few decades as an aspiration for many industries. Despite constant attention on ‘sustainability’ it is still unclear on how exactly the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) could holistically embed sustainable business practice into their daily business operations. This paper explores the role of lean and green thinking in implementing cost-effective sustainable manufacturing practices, drawing on findings from multiple case studies. The authors have adopted an interpretive case study method to investigate this area of lean and green practices in South East Queensland, Australia. Case study findings are used to provide rich, contextual insights on best practices in areas such as waste, emission, chemical, water and land management. The paper presents a ‘lean and green matrix’ to guide SMEs to select appropriate lean and green tools and optimise sustainable business outcomes while maximising benefits from their expenditure. The findings also provide strategies and opportunities to effectively contribute to key responsible consumption and production targets within the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
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View more >With growing calls internationally for manufacturing efficiency and waste reduction, sustainable business practice has evolved over the last few decades as an aspiration for many industries. Despite constant attention on ‘sustainability’ it is still unclear on how exactly the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) could holistically embed sustainable business practice into their daily business operations. This paper explores the role of lean and green thinking in implementing cost-effective sustainable manufacturing practices, drawing on findings from multiple case studies. The authors have adopted an interpretive case study method to investigate this area of lean and green practices in South East Queensland, Australia. Case study findings are used to provide rich, contextual insights on best practices in areas such as waste, emission, chemical, water and land management. The paper presents a ‘lean and green matrix’ to guide SMEs to select appropriate lean and green tools and optimise sustainable business outcomes while maximising benefits from their expenditure. The findings also provide strategies and opportunities to effectively contribute to key responsible consumption and production targets within the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
View less >
Conference Title
Manufacturing and Design 2018: A Collaborative Future for NZ Manufacturing and Design
Publisher URI
Subject
Environmental management
Environmental engineering