Sustainability pillars
Sustainable manufacturing rests on three pillars: environment, people and economy. They are connected, and a good approach takes all three into account.
Environmental
- CO2 reduction
- Waste minimization
- Energy efficiency
- Water conservation
Social
- Employee well-being
- Local communities
- Safe work environment
- Fair working conditions
Economic
- Long-term profitability
- Resource efficiency
- Innovation investments
- Risk management
Circular economy principles
The circular economy tries to keep materials in use for as long as possible. It works in four steps, from most to least desirable.
Reduce
Reduce material and energy consumption.
Reuse
Reuse materials and components.
Recycle
Process waste into new raw materials.
Recover
Recover energy from waste streams.
Implementation strategies
In practice, you often start with your existing production and then look at which new technologies fit.
Production optimization
- Lean manufacturing
- Predictive maintenance
- Smart energy management
- Waste stream optimization
Green technologies
- Renewable energy sources
- Bio-based materials
- Clean production technologies
- Carbon capture systems