Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
INTRODUCTION
overall management system of a company. For
this reason, environmentally integrated manu-
facturing decisions require for the consideration
of technical, economic, and ecological aspects of
the manufacturing processes simultaneously. Es-
pecially the companies using hazardous materials
in their production have started to consider en-
vironmentally integrated manufacturing systems
to decrease their impacts on environment and to
prevent pollution at source directly.
This chapter presents a methodology for the
environmentally integrated manufacturing sys-
tem analysis for companies aiming to achieve
the benefits of environmental management in
obtaining high productivity levels. The aim of the
methodology is the reduction of wastes derived
from the manufacturing processes. The wastes
produced during the manufacturing process are
important cost issues for manufacturers. Waste of
raw material creates important costs and environ-
mental effects, especially when it is hazardous.
For the case of using hazardous raw materials, the
wastes derived from the manufacturing processes
can not be sent to trash, instead they are sent to
the recycling or treatment facility. Obviously,
wastes that can not be used within the facility
create inefficiency in the usage of raw materials.
Therefore, the problem considered is to decrease
the formation of wastes in order to decrease waste
management costs and improve raw material
usage. One solution to this problem is to use an
environmentally integrated manufacturing system
point of view aiming to decrease product losses,
while reducing costs and improving profitability.
The presented methodology is examined in a car
battery manufacturing plant since any improve-
ment to reduce wastes in this company will be
yielding immediate environmental benefits since
the waste usually consists of lead, which is haz-
ardous. This application forms also an example
about the achievability of “cleaner” production
philosophies in the manufacturing sector using
hazardous raw materials. The presented methodol-
Manufacturing companies are now aware that
whether to implement sustainable environment
and resource management practices or not is no
longer a choice for them. Companies operate in a
world of dynamic competition in which technol-
ogy, production and manufacturing processes,
customer needs and, environmental regulations are
constantly changing. Therefore, companies should
constantly find innovative solutions to survive
under the pressure of competitors and regulators.
The increasingly strict environmental regulations
combined with the improving consciousness of
consumers for environmentally friendly products
have put manufacturers in a precarious situation.
Consequently, not only researchers, but also
manufacturing managers are recognizing the
importance of environmental management sys-
tems used for managing environmental practices
(Angell and Klassen, 1999; Claver et al., 2007;
Gupta and Sharma, 1996; Klassen, 2000; Porter
and van der Linde, 1995; Sroufe, 2003; Xigang
and Zhaoling, 2000).
A major barrier to the adoption of environ-
mental management systems is that companies
often do not know the environmental costs of
operating their business and therefore do not
know the financial benefits that can be obtained
by reducing their environmental impacts. Previ-
ously, environmental costs were generally defined
as costs dealing with environmental laws, regula-
tions, and taxes. It is now recognized that the true
environmental costs includes: costs of resources,
waste treatment and disposal costs, the cost of poor
environmental reputation, and the cost of paying
an environmental risk premium. The calculation
and evaluation of environmental costs provide
better understanding of the production cost of
a product, and that it properly allocates costs to
product, process, system or facility. Measuring
environmental costs also improves the correct-
ness of the pricing and gives profitability and
