Improving Eco-Efficiency through Waste Reduction beyond the Boundaries of a Firm: Evidence from a Multiplant Case in the Ceramic Industry

Guido J. L. Micheli, Enrico Cagno and Elena Tappia
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Guido J. L. Micheli: Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20156 Milano, Italy
Enrico Cagno: Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20156 Milano, Italy
Elena Tappia: Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20156 Milano, Italy

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: To pursue eco-efficiency, one of the most important principles is the sustainable use of resources. The challenge in resource use improvement lies in a clear assessment of resource utilization. However, this evaluation is currently performed within the scope of a company and such an approach is not sustainable anymore in a world with increasingly complex production systems. This paper provides a decision support system (DSS) to disclose where wastes absorb resource capacity of a whole production system beyond the boundaries of a firm. In this way, an intervention priority plan can be established to effectively improve the eco-efficiency of production systems by considering interactions among players of a multiplant or supply chain context. An implementation of the DSS is proposed for the ceramic industry to test it and explore the potential benefits. Results confirm that the DSS can effectively enable different actors to understand how significant inter-firm saving opportunities can be identified.

Keywords: eco-efficiency; waste reduction; production system; DSS; ceramic industry; multiplant case (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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