Environmental Management in Manufacturing Industries

Abstract

The environmental concern requires manufacturing industries to direct resources and effort toward strategies and activities that help reducing their overall environmental impact. Using environmental management systems ( EMSs ) such as ISO 14001 or similar is common. However, as the EMSs do not put absolute requirements on the organization's environmental performance, it is still up to each manufacturing company to set the ambition level. As part of the EMSs , the identification of the environmental aspects to be dealt with during the operations phase could be supported by an industrial applicable method called Green Performance Map ( GPM ) , engaging the employees on all levels to work with those environmental improvements they could impact. While most manufacturing companies are implementing the concept of lean production, it is advantageous to integrate the environmental improvement work into the existing lean infrastructure with, for example, daily management systems and scheduled activities for continuous improvement. Another approach discussed in the article is the need for emphasizing the design of the production system as an upstream activity that has fundamental impact on the environmental performance downstream, that is, in the operations phase. When designing new production equipment or renovating existing equipment, the opportunities to incorporate more energy‐ and resource‐efficient solutions are much greater and cheaper compared to investing in such solutions afterward during serial production. Arguably, a combined design and operations approach is necessary in order to achieve a complete green mindset that will guide the environmental actions on both the strategic, tactical, and operational levels. Managing the environmental tasks is part of the overall strive toward lean and clean energy systems in manufacturing industry.

Understanding and implementing environmental management in small entrepreneurial ventures: supply chain management, production and design

“…ISO 14001 includes strategic issues related to the value chain and product life cycle, covering practices beyond those considered environmentally friendly (Arimura et al, 2016). The guidelines and requirements afforded by this standard make it possible to implement, maintain and improve EM processes (Bellgran and Bruch, 2015;Oliveira et al, 2016;Schulz and Flanigan, 2016;Johnstone and Hallberg, 2020). As it is a certifiable EMS, the social impact of ISO 14001 for an organization is essential, whose benefits happen both in the internal environment by developing environmental awareness and improving processes, and in the external environment, in terms of improved image, reputation and stakeholder relations (Iatridis and Kesidou, 2018).…”

“…, 2016). The guidelines and requirements afforded by this standard make it possible to implement, maintain and improve EM processes (Bellgran and Bruch, 2015; Oliveira et al. , 2016; Schulz and Flanigan, 2016; Johnstone and Hallberg, 2020).…”

Impact of Green Initiatives on the Financial Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises: The Case of Manufacturing Firm in Central Luzon

“…Impact of Green Initiatives on the Financial Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises Ma. T. B. Alfaro, R. A. Diaz manufacturing industry (Bellgran & Bruch, 2015). The successful implementation of the strategies set in this plan will be a concerted effort of the management and the whole workforce of a business organization.…”

Impact of Green Initiatives on the Financial Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises: The Case of Manufacturing Firm in Central Luzon

“…Handling the environmental tasks is part of the overall strive toward lean and clean energy systems in the manufacturing industry (Bellgran & Bruch, 2015). The successful implementation of the strategies set in this plan will be a concerted effort of the management and the whole workforce of a business organization.…”