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Resource Efficiency (resource + efficiency)
Selected AbstractsApproaches towards the Efficient Use of Resources in the IndustryCHEMICAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY (CET), Issue 4 2010M. Schmidt Abstract Resource efficiency in companies targets economic and efficient use of materials and energy in production. On the one hand, this aims to contribute towards sustainable development and, on the other hand, efficient use of resources can save costs and improve the competitiveness of a company. This aspect is becoming all the more important in the light of current developments in world market prices for natural resources. In Germany, the use of materials and energy currently accounts for about 46,% of the gross value of goods manufactured by companies. It is known from various sources that the average potential for savings here is 10,15,%. The material costs alone can be reduced by 2,3,% through efficient management. The potentials for saving lie less in the individual technologies applied and more in the interplay within and between the complex production systems. That is why one key challenge facing the industry is to ascertain the hidden costs that are in fact linked with inefficiencies in a company. Analysis methods and approaches are necessary for this, such as for example the material and energy flow analysis. [source] EVALUATING GAINS FROM MERGERS IN A NON-PARAMETRIC PUBLIC GOOD MODEL OF POLICE SERVICESANNALS OF PUBLIC AND COOPERATIVE ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2008Richard SIMPER ABSTRACT,:,The merger of police services in the UK has been suggested on the grounds that efficiency improvements will be possible. This paper applies a public good model of the police service to evaluate the potential efficiency gains from mergers of police services in England and Wales. It uses a non-parametric method suggested by Bogetoft and Wang (2005). We construct a dataset that reflects the public good nature of police service and allows for the exogenous imposition by government on the level of police service budgets. Our main finding is that English and Welsh police service mergers could lead to increases in police staff resource efficiencies between 10 per cent and 70 per cent. Hence, we confirm the government's decision to merge English and Welsh police services. [source] Evaluation of sustainable packaging in the norwegian shopping basket 2001,2007PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, Issue 3 2010Hanne Møller Abstract The main purpose of the Norwegian Shopping Basket Survey (referred to here as the Survey) is to document development in packaging optimization and generation of packaging waste in the Norwegian packaging sector over time. As the environmental and resource efficiency of packaging systems depends to a large extent on the prevention of product loss, material intensity of the packaging and closing of the material loops, these factors are important elements in the characterization of sustainability of packaging systems. In this project we calculate indicators for material intensity and material recycling, based on the European Union (EU) directive on packaging and packaging waste (EC 64/92) and the corresponding European Committee for Standardization (CEN)-standards EN 13427-13432. The survey consists of 22 product categories that have a significant economic contribution to the retail sector. In each product category the three products with the highest turnover (market leaders) and the three products with the most rapid increase in turnover each year (market winners) are chosen. The survey result shows that the weighted packaging material intensity for the market leaders has been reduced but that the net material intensity has been rather constant. Data for the market winners indicate a much larger variation throughout the period, which is expected because many of the products change from year to year. The numbers of packaging changes are counted. Market changes are found to be the most important factor affecting the differences in material intensity. Changes in the packaging system of the individual products are less important. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] LEAN, GREEN, AND THE QUEST FOR SUPERIOR ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCEPRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2001SANDRA ROTHENBERG We examine the relationship between lean manufacturing practices and environmental performance as measured in terms of air emissions and resource use. We draw on two unique surveys of 31 automobile assembly plants in North America and Japan, which contain information on manufacturing practice and environmental performance, as well as in-depth interviews with 156 plant level employees at 17 assembly plants. Our survey results and interviews suggest that lean management and reduction of air emissions of volatile organic compounds (vocs) are associated negatively. Lean manufacturing practices contribute to more efficient use of paints and cleaning solvents, but these in-process changes are not sufficient to meet the most stringent air regulations. We found some evidence to support the link between lean practices and resource efficiency. While our survey results were in hypothesized direction, they were not statistically significant. In-depth semi-structured interviews, however, suggest a more robust relationship, and we use them to describe some mechanisms by which all three aspects of lean management (buffer minimization, work systems, and human resource management) may be related to environmental management practices and performance. [source] Combined radioguided occult lesion and sentinel node localization for breast cancerANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 7 2004Joon Kim Introduction: The incidence of non-palpable breast lesions requiring intraoperative localization has greatly increased, particularly because of the widespread use of mammographic screening. These lesions have previously been localized preoperatively using hook-wire or carbon track techniques. In the era of increasing acceptance of sentinel node biopsy (SNB) a separate procedure would be required for sentinel node localization (SNL). The present study describes an experience with ultrasound guided radionucleotide occult lesion localization (ROLL) as a reliable alternative that enables SNL synchronously. Methods: Twenty-two patients with proven breast malignancy on core biopsy were enrolled in the present study. Preoperatively, technetium-99m was injected around the lesion under radiological guidance. A ,-probe was then used to locate the lesion and guide its surgical removal. Complete excision was then confirmed immediately by verifying minimal residual radioactivity in the cavity wall tissue. Appropriate SNB then proceeded. Results: The primary breast lesion was identified in all cases except in one, where the radiotracer was injected into the wrong site, giving a miss rate of 1/22 (4.5%). The average size of the tumour was 13 mm (range 6,22 mm) and the closest margins ranged from 0 (1 patient) to 22 mm (mean 7 mm). Two patients had inadequate margins and required further excision giving a re-excision rate of 2/21 (9.5%). SNB specimens included a median of 3.7 nodes/patient Conclusion: Radionucleotide occult lesion localization/SNL is a simple, accurate and reliable method of combining localization of impalpable breast lesions with the localization required for SNB. The miss and re-excision rates compare favourably with the needle-wire systems and carbon tracking techniques. There are significant resource efficiency and time advantages. [source] Greening from the front to the back door?BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 3 2010A typology of chemical, resource management services Abstract Though services and product,service systems have been promoted as a promising way towards more eco-efficient and sustainable societies, they have not turned into reality as expected. Chemical and resource management services are among the few operational examples. They aim to align the service provider's and customer's actions to reduce chemical usage and waste, improve supply chain management and increase resource efficiency. Arguably, they also create new business and higher profit margins compared with merely selling chemicals or handling industrial waste. Thus far they have been viewed as a single business model. In contrast, this study shows through the construction of five ideal types that the actual services and their focus vary. They range from the management of the chemical supply to operations, waste reduction, combined logistics services, process management, IT and other technologies. Consequently this affects the value creation, organization and environmental efficiencies of these services. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] | ||||||||||