Cleaner Production Applied in a Small Furniture Industry in Brazil: Addressing Focused Changes in Design to Reduce Waste

Carlos Mario Gutiérrez Aguilar, Ronald Panameño, Alexei Perez Velazquez, Beatriz Elena Angel Álvarez, Asher Kiperstok and Sandro Fábio César
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Carlos Mario Gutiérrez Aguilar: Postgraduate Program in Industrial Engineering (PEI), Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador 40210-630, Brazil
Ronald Panameño: Postgraduate Program in Industrial Engineering (PEI), Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador 40210-630, Brazil
Alexei Perez Velazquez: Postgraduate Program in Industrial Engineering (PEI), Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador 40210-630, Brazil
Beatriz Elena Angel Álvarez: Pontifical Bolivarian University (UPB), Medellín 050031, Colombia
Asher Kiperstok: Postgraduate Program in Industrial Engineering (PEI), Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador 40210-630, Brazil
Sandro Fábio César: Postgraduate Program in Industrial Engineering (PEI), Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador 40210-630, Brazil

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 10, 1-17

Abstract: The wood industry is known for being among the biggest resource consumers, having a relatively low yield. The wood furniture industry as part of the wood industry also remains a big generator of residues and a big consumer of resources. Diverse solutions and technologies have been developed to deal with the residues generated, but those technologies are mostly applied at the end of the production chain with limited results. Cleaner production represents a program based on continuous strategies applied to a more sustainable use of materials and energy, minimizing waste and pollution. This paper presents a case study of a cleaner production program developed in a small furniture industry in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, applying the concepts of cleaner production with parameters of ecodesign developed for the furniture industry. The object of study was the production of a wooden chair made from eucalyptus wood. The application of the cleaner production program and ecodesign parameters allowed a detailed characterization of the waste, resulting in opportunities for a reduction of the use of raw material by 30%, a reduction in waste by 49% and allowing a reduction in energy by 36% due to simplification of the productive process. Among the strategies applied were reshaping pieces, redesigning, and the substitution of materials. The results suggest that despite the existence of more complex environmental methods and approaches, the application of cleaner production plus ecodesign parameters could be more achievable for micro and small furniture industries.

Keywords: cleaner production; wood; waste; ecodesign; furniture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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