scholarly journals Is There a Smart Sustainability Transition in Manufacturing? Tracking Externalities in Machine Tools over Three Decades

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 838
Author(s):  
Inéz Labucay
Keyword(s):  
Machine Tools ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Innovation System ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Sustainable Technologies ◽  
Sustainability Transition ◽  
Sustainable Consumption And Production ◽  
Smart Technologies ◽  
Cyber Physical Production Systems

Only one third of studies on the Industry 4.0–sustainability link have been conducted in manufacturing, despite its centrality to “ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns” (UN Sustainable Development Goal nr. 12). The European Ecodesign Directive singled out machine tools as key to the sustainability transition, not least due to their high energy usage and their increasingly becoming enmeshed in cyber-physical production systems. This paper aims to find out whether the digital transformation underway in machine tools is sustainable as well as to identify its central technological pathways. Externalities in machine tools are tracked over three decades (1990–2018) by means of a multi-method setting: (1) mapping the Technological Innovation System (TIS) of machine tools; (2) co-occurrence analysis of transnational patent families, in order to reduce geographical and market distortions (Questel’s FAMPAT); and (3) analysis of the incidence of digital and sustainable technologies in machine tools patent applications (WIPO PATENTSCOPE). A smart sustainability transition is currently not hampered by a lack of smart technologies but rather by the sluggish introduction of sustainable machine tools. Cyber-physical and robot machine tools have been found to be central pathways to a smart sustainability transition. Implications for harnessing externalities reach beyond the machine tools industry.

scholarly journals Laundry Habits in Bangkok: Use Patterns of Products and Services

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 4486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dami Moon ◽  
Eri Amasawa ◽  
Masahiko Hirao
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Environmental Implications ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Product Service ◽  
Quality Of Living ◽  
Sustainable Consumption And Production ◽  
Future Task ◽  
Self Service

This study aimed to define the use of product–service system (PSS) associated with laundry businesses, such as coin-operated self-service laundromats (CL) and laundry services (LS), in order to get a better understanding of the environmental implications of PSS in laundry habits in Bangkok, Thailand. The motivation to use PSS could vary according to the specific consumer needs often defined by cultures, and therefore the environmental impacts from the PSS use would result differently from country to country. Questionnaires and in-depth interviews were conducted with Bangkok residents to determine the laundry habits related to the use of PSS. As a result, the use of private washing machines (PW) was found to be the main option, and CL and LS were used as an additional option in the laundry habits. The most widely observed use pattern in Bangkok was the use of CL as an alternative to PW instead of buying a new machine for a new life in dormitories or other residences away from home. At that time, hand washing (HW) was also used for saving money and for the cleanliness. Regarding the environmental potential, the relationship between the PSS users and laundry habits was specifically analyzed. The group who uses PSS frequently tended to do laundry less often than those who only use PW. Meanwhile, the need for even more services is also expected to increase among the PSS users. The need to improve the quality of laundry is expected to increase with the improvement of quality of living in Bangkok in the near future. However, at the same time, these observations imply that a change of consumer behaviors related to the use of PSS determines the resulting energy consumption and environmental burdens. To further clarify sustainable consumption and production systems, a quantitative analysis of the environmental impact of the laundry habits remains as a future task.

scholarly journals Consumer Motivation and Environmental Impact of Laundry Machine-Sharing: Analysis of Surveys in Tokyo and Bangkok

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 9756
Author(s):  
Dami Moon ◽  
Eri Amasawa ◽  
Masahiko Hirao
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Sharing Economy ◽  
Consumer Motivation ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Single Person ◽  
Consumer Surveys ◽  
Sustainable Consumption And Production ◽  
Laundry Machine

A sharing economy is an alternative system that enables pro-environmental behavior by improving efficiency through product-sharing. However, some motivations and requirements for doing laundry can increase the environmental burden, which suggests that the laundry machine (LM) sharing is not necessarily sustainable. This study clarifies consumer motivations for laundry usage and assesses the feasibility of environmentally sustainable laundry behavior through LM-sharing. Consumer surveys were conducted in Tokyo and Bangkok with different LM-ownership proportions. Single-person households were targeted, reflecting Tokyo’s demographic situation. A scenario analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of routine laundry behavior changes on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Three main results emerged. First, Tokyo respondents used a coin-operated laundry machine (CL) for convenience, which private washers cannot provide, while Bangkok respondents used it for basic laundry needs. Consequentially, the Tokyo respondents, who used CLs, were responsible for more than three times the GHG emissions of Bangkok respondents. Second, the group using both private LM and CL was the least GHG-efficient group, regardless of region. Third, laundry behavior can reduce GHG emissions if consumer requirements are decreased. The results show that there is environmental significance in adopting LM-sharing for sustainable consumption and production systems that reflect regional characteristics.

Environmental Implications of Laundry Habits in Bangkok: Use Patterns of Products and Services

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dami MOON ◽  
Eri Amasawa ◽  
Masahiko Hirao
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Environmental Implications ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Product Service ◽  
Quality Of Living ◽  
Sustainable Consumption And Production ◽  
Self Service ◽  
Tumble Dryer

This study aimed to define the use of products and services of PSS associated with laundry businesses such as coin-operated self-service laundromats (CL) and laundry services (LS) in order to get a better understanding of the environmental implications of PSS in laundry habits in Bangkok, Thailand. The motivation to use product-service systems (PSS) could vary according to the specific consumer needs often defined by cultures, and therefore the environmental impacts from the PSS use would result differently from country to country. Questionnaires and in-depth interviews were conducted with Bangkok residents to determine the laundry habits related to the use of PSS. As a result, the use of private washing machines (PW) was found to be in the main option and CL and LS were used as an additional option in the laundry habits. Regarding the environmental potential, the respondent who uses CL and LS frequently tended to do laundry less often than those who only use PW. Meanwhile, CL and LS users adopted the use of tumble dryer more often, and the need to use was high compared to others who do not use PSS. The need to improve the quality of laundry is expected to increase with the improvement of quality of living in Bangkok in the near future. However, at the same time, these observations imply that change of consumer behaviors related to the use of PSS can affect energy consumption and environmental burdens. To further clarify sustainable consumption and production systems, a quantitative analysis of the environmental impact of the laundry habits remains as a future task.

scholarly journals Do Tourism Activities and Urbanization Drive Material Consumption in the OECD Countries? A Quantile Regression Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7742
Author(s):  
Taiwo Temitope Lasisi ◽  
Kayode Kolawole Eluwole ◽  
Uju Violet Alola ◽  
Luigi Aldieri ◽  
Concetto Paolo Vinci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Oecd Countries ◽  
Real Income ◽  
Income Growth ◽  
Material Consumption ◽  
Domestic Consumption ◽  
Sustainable Consumption And Production ◽  
Global Goal ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Two Parameters

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) elaborately encompass a global goal for sustainable consumption and production (Goal 12: SDGs), thus providing potential drivers and/or pathways to attaining sustainable consumption. In view of this global goal, this study examined the role of real income per capita, urbanization and especially inbound tourism in domestic material consumption for the panel of OECD countries. The study is conducted for the period of 1995 to 2016 by employing the panel quantile approach. Interestingly, an inverted U-shaped relationship between outbound tourism and domestic material consumption is established across the quantiles, thus indicating that sustainable domestic consumption is achievable after a threshold of domestic material consumption is attained. In addition, achieving sustainable consumption through economic or income growth is a herculean task for the OECD countries because the current reality indicates that income growth triggers higher consumption of domestic materials. However, the results suggest that urbanization is a recipe for sustainable domestic consumption since there is a negative and significant relationship between the two parameters across the quantiles. Nevertheless, the study presents relevant policy for efficient material and resources utilization and that is suitable to drive the SDGs for 2030 and other country-specific sustainable ambitions.

scholarly journals A Study on the Trend of Domestic Waste Generation and the Recognition of Recycling Priorities in Korea

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1732
Author(s):  
Seok-ho Jung ◽  
Mee-hye Lee ◽  
Seong-ho Lee ◽  
Ji Whan Ahn
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Waste Recycling ◽  
Household Waste ◽  
Waste Generation ◽  
Analytic Hierarchy ◽  
Sustainable Consumption And Production ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Scrap Metals ◽  
Hierarchy Process

In September 2015, the United Nations included ‘sustainable consumption and production’ as part of its 12th goal of sustainable development. The EU announced its Circular Economic Package in December 2015 to move from the existing linear economic structure to the net environmental system. Recycling of household waste has become more significant as a circular economic policy has been implemented to reflow waste into the economy through recycling worldwide. In this study, Korea’s household waste generation for 20 years from 1998 to 2017 was analyzed through statistical techniques. Waste generation tended to increase in the order of plastics and cans, and papers tended to decrease. The amount of bottle wastes has been on the decline after increasing. A questionnaire survey on recycling priority was conducted on 261 people, including participants in the EARTH-2019 recycling experience hall, using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique. According to the survey, the recycling priorities of six types of household waste are (first) plastic, (second) cans, viny, scrap metals, (third) paper, and (fourth) bottles. Statistical analysis of mid- to long-term household waste generation and AHP-based household waste recycling priority survey results can be used as basic data, such as environmental analysis in Korea’s recycling-related policies and research.

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