Summary This article examines the concept of eco‐efficiency at a regional level as an approach to promote the sustainable transformation of regions, using the regions of Poland as an example. The data envelopment analysis (DEA) method—the input‐oriented Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes (CCR) model—was chosen as the eco‐efficiency analysis tool because of its high capability to measure the regional eco‐efficiency. The research process was divided into two stages. First, the chosen instruments of mathematical statistics (e.g., Hellwig's method and coefficient of determination) were applied to ensure an appropriate combination of environmental and economic indicators of the eco‐efficiency equation. Next, the CCR model was used to calculate the eco‐efficiency scores. The results of the study have revealed that the regions of Lubuskie, Mazowieckie, Śląskie, Warmińsko‐Maurskie, and Wielkopolskie are relatively eco‐efficient, whereas the remaining regions use too many environmental resources in relation to the produced value of goods and services. Six of the eleven eco‐inefficient regions in Poland have increasing returns to scale, that is, the usage of natural resources connected with the negative impact upon the environment rises slower than the values of goods and services. Notwithstanding, it is beneficiary from the perspective of sustainability. The obtained research results are a valuable source of management information for the creation of regional environmental protection strategies and a basis for searching for the causes of eco‐inefficiency.
The aim of this work is to compare the environmental impacts of two production processes of tissue paper using virgin pulp (virgin fiber) or waste paper pulp (recycled fiber). This comparison is based on the materials and energy used as well as emissions and waste resulting from the production of tissue paper. Life cycle assessment (LCA), ReCiPe method, was chosen as the analysis tool. The results of the research proved that electricity has the most considerable participation in the overall environmental impacts in both production processes, followed by either virgin pulp or heat. Consequently, these two production processes are the greatest contributors to the following midpoint environmental impact categories: human toxicity, climate change, human health and ecosystems, and fossil depletion. The analysis based on endpoint impact categories proved that the production process based on waste paper is more environmentally friendly than the one based on virgin pulp in all impact categories: human health, ecosystems, resources. This is largely because of its lower material and energy requirements in the entire life cycle. Due to the fact that the tissue paper is the final use of fiber, using recycled waste paper is strongly recommended. The obtained research results are a valuable source of management information for the decision makers at both company and national levels required to improve the environmental performance of tissue paper production.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to measure and evaluate the efficiency of materials management in the European Union countries (EU-28) during the period of 2008–2017. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted using the method of data envelopment analysis (DEA) and variables applied to determine the resource productivity indicator. Therefore, the components of domestic material consumption constituted inputs in the DEA method, while gross domestic product (GDP) was applied as an output. Findings The results of the analysis showed that the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Latvia and the UK are the efficiency leaders among all the member states of the European Union. One of the least efficient countries is Poland, which uses too much natural resources in the process of generating goods and services. However, this consumption is growing at a slower rate than the value of GDP, which is beneficial from the point of view of sustainable development. Poland, like other inefficient countries, should reduce its consumption of natural resources in line with the best international practices. Practical implications The obtained research results can be a valuable source of information for decision-makers, and contribute to the adoption of more effective policies in order to improve the relationship between materials consumption and economic growth. Originality/value The application of the DEA method for calculating the efficiency of materials management represents a new approach, and it is the first attempt of its kind in the European Union countries.
Manufacturing offers substantial opportunities for economic growth after COVID-19, as long as it delivers competitively priced goods while simultaneously reducing pressure on the environment. In this study, we present the methodological feasibility of the joint application of life cycle assessment (LCA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) for assessing eco-efficiency at the sector level. We employ this methodology to assess the environmental profiles of manufacturing in Poland in relation to their gross value added, and subsequently calculate the improvement targets for the eco-inefficient manufacturing industries. The study reveals that only the chemical industry is relatively eco-efficient, whereas the remaining industries have considerable room for improvement due to their very low eco-efficiency, and thus should follow the best practices established by the chemical industry. Although there are always individual paths for manufacturing industries to achieve the decoupling of economic growth from environmental pressure, activities such as the transformation of manufacturing methods to be less energy and material intensive and/or to be low-emission, the reincorporation of waste into the manufacturing processes, and the implementation of environmental management systems should become common targets of manufacturing in Poland.
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