Sustainability of food supply chains – mapping food waste and by-product synergies

Purpose: This conceptual paper introduces the theoretical and methodological basis of an analytical framework conceived with the purpose of bringing industrial ecology perspectives into the core of the underlying disciplines supporting studies concerned with environmental sustainability aspects beyond product life cycle boundaries in a supply chain. Research Approach: To develop the framework, we draw from a previous LCA-driven methodological approach applied to investigate industrial activities with the purpose of defining industrial ecology strategies for the development of ‘eco-industrial clusters’. We expand on this approach by combining it with the waste model for the food sector to classify the inventory of food waste and by-products generated in different stages of a food supply chain. Finally, food waste and by-product flows are considered with basis on the European waste hierarchy model and core industrial symbiosis concepts. These flows depict two time-related scenarios: 1. Present scenarios showing the status quo of current waste and by-product flows, and 2. Future scenarios pointing out potential food waste and by-product synergies along the supply chain. Findings and Originality: Different ecosystems scenarios are expected to emerge from the analysis applied in different industrial stages of a food supply chain: Farming, manufacturing, and retailing. The scenarios are the main outcomes of the analysis process and they ultimately describe potential food waste and by-product synergies not only within and between core industrial activities of the supply chain being studied, but also potential industrial linkages with organisations outside the supply chain that are nonetheless located in areas adjacent to the core industries in the supply chain being analyzed. Research Impact: By bringing industrial ecology perspectives into the analytical framework developed, the paper provides a valuable and innovative contribution to the wider debate on how supply chains meet the challenges of sustainability. Given the pressing challenges faced by the food sector, the framework focuses upon waste minimization through industrial linkages in food supply chains. The combination of industrial ecology practice with basic LCA elements, the waste hierarchy model, and the spatial scale of industrial symbiosis allows the standardization of qualitative analyses and associated outcomes. Such standardization enables comparative analysis not only between different stages of a supply chain, but also between different supply chains. Practical Impact: The analytical approach proposed contributes more coherently to the wider circular economy aspiration of optimizing the flow of goods to get the most out of raw materials and cuts wastes to a minimum. The transition to a circular economy based upon circular design and production, new circular business models involving reverse cycles and cascading of products, by-products and waste, as well as cross-cycle and cross-sector collaborations beyond traditional supply chain boundaries, requires a refreshed understanding of more current circular supply chain archetypes

Silver hair market in Japan? Good quality of (whose) life with silver-to-black consumption?

Japanese Society (Silver Market?): Exceptionalism in Socio-Economic Sense? What You See is Not What it is in Japan! This question was my Japanese colleagues and informants confronting me, and I concur with them as I completing this brief…. Perhaps this synopsis could help to realize the limited understanding of we have on another Asia society (despite frequent travels and information exchange in the mobile-Internet age), par­ticularly the enigma about Japanese society’s traditionalism embedded into its supra-modernization trajectories of socio-economic development since 1868! 日本社会（银发市场？）：社会经济的例外主义？ 你所见的并不是真实的日本！这是我提出这问题时，我的日本同事跟消息提供者对我的反驳，而我完成这篇概论后也认同他们的理据……也许这篇概论能帮助我们意识到自己对另一个亚洲社会的认知是如此有限（即使我们经常到日本旅游，而且又身处这信息交流发达的年代），特别是自1868年起，深嵌于社会经济发展超现代化进程中的日本传统主义，对我们来说真的有如谜一样

Sustainable exhibit design: guidelines for designers of small scale interactive and travelling exhibits

This study was commissioned as part of Lincolnshire County Council’s FLOWS ‘2B’ Information and Symbols Project and UK match funding for this particular FLOWS Project has been provided by East Midlands Development Agency. The aim of FLOWS is to improve the sustainability of development in flood risk areas through development of ‘good practice’, by improved integration of flood risk information into decision-support systems for spatial planning and water management. FLOWS involves over 40 individual projects which are based in four Work Packages. Lincolnshire County Council is jointly leading Work Package 3 (Spatial Planning) and is also leading on Projects in Work Package 2 (Public Perception/Dissemination). This study has been produced as part of Lincolnshire County Council’s ‘FLOWS 2B Information and Symbols Project’ and in the wider context, is focussing on raising public awareness of flooding and flood risk by exploring innovative methods of disseminating information on the subject of flood risk to the public. This project involves the production of interactive exhibits aimed at raising the awareness of flood risk in Lincolnshire and is a partnership between Lincolnshire County Council and the School of Architecture at the University of Lincoln. A study focussing on creating sustainable exhibitions has been undertaken via the University of Lincoln that will directly inform the FLOWS exhibits. As detailed in the project brief, this study on Sustainable Exhibit Design will investigate best practice in sustainable exhibit design and produce a report setting out guidelines for designers of small interactive and travelling exhibits, guidelines which are directly applicable to the proposed FLOWS exhibit. The report will form a contribution to exhibition design knowledge through wider distribution via the University of Lincoln and FLOWS websites and a conference presentation

Sustainable seabed mining: guidelines and a new concept for Atlantis II Deep

The feasibility of exploiting seabed resources is subject to the engineering solutions, and economic prospects. Due to rising metal prices, predicted mineral scarcities and unequal allocations of resources in the world, vast research programmes on the exploration and exploitation of seabed minerals are presented in 1970s. Very few studies have been published after the 1980s, when predictions were not fulfilled. The attention grew back in the last decade with marine mineral mining being in research and commercial focus again and the first seabed mining license for massive sulphides being granted in Papua New Guinea’s Exclusive Economic Zone.Research on seabed exploitation and seabed mining is a complex transdisciplinary field that demands for further attention and development. Since the field links engineering, economics, environmental, legal and supply chain research, it demands for research from a systems point of view. This implies the application of a holistic sustainability framework of to analyse the feasibility of engineering systems. The research at hand aims to close this gap by developing such a framework and providing a review of seabed resources. Based on this review it identifies a significant potential for massive sulphides in inactive hydrothermal vents and sediments to solve global resource scarcities. The research aims to provide background on seabed exploitation and to apply a holistic systems engineering approach to develop general guidelines for sustainable seabed mining of polymetallic sulphides and a new concept and solutions for the Atlantis II Deep deposit in the Red Sea.The research methodology will start with acquiring a broader academic and industrial view on sustainable seabed mining through an online survey and expert interviews on seabed mining. In addition, the Nautilus Minerals case is reviewed for lessons learned and identification of challenges. Thereafter, a new concept for Atlantis II Deep is developed that based on a site specific assessment.The research undertaken in this study provides a new perspective regarding sustainable seabed mining. The main contributions of this research are the development of extensive guidelines for key issues in sustainable seabed mining as well as a new concept for seabed mining involving engineering systems, environmental risk mitigation, economic feasibility, logistics and legal aspects

GAOS: Spatial optimisation of crop and nature within agricultural fields

This paper proposes and demonstrates a spatial optimiser that allocates areas of inefficient machine manoeuvring to field margins thus improving the use of available space and supporting map-based Controlled Traffic Farming. A prototype web service (GAOS) allows farmers to optimise tracks within their fields and explore planning alternatives prior to downloading the plans to their RTK GPS-guided steering system. GAOS retrieves accurate data on field geometry from a geo-database. Via a web interface, the farmer sets options regarding operation properties, potential locations for field margins and headlands, etc. Next, an optimisation script that employs an open source geospatial library (osgeo.ogr) is called. The objective function considers costs involved with un-cropped areas, turning at headlands and subsidies received for field margins. Optimisation results are stored in a database and are available for (1) viewing via the web interface, (2) downloading to the GPS-guided steering system and (3) communication to third parties

Supply Chain Efficiency of Environmentally Friendly Microalgae-Based Biodiesel Production

Environmentally friendly algae-based biodiesel production includes biofuel extraction that represents a technological process which inflicts minimal damage to the environment or does not harm it. Biodiesel that is almost completely based on renewable resources can be utilized as one of the most promising biofuels, and it is environmentally safer than petrol-diesel for several reasons such as: 1. Microalgae have high photosynthesis efficiency and can grow very fast; 2. Microalgae can be cultivated without occupying farmlands, and thus it is possible to reduce the potential damage to the agricultural ecosystem and the traditional food webs; 3. Fresh water is not essential and nutrients can be supplied by wastewater and CO2 by gas combustion during cultivation; 4. Microalgae can be collected very quickly, obviously accelerating the biodiesel production process; 5. The property of their uniform cell structure with no bark, stems, branches or leaves make the commercial production attractive, thus making the operation and control of reproduction conditions much more practical; 6. The general properties as well as the physical biodiesel fuel properties from algae oil (e.g. density, viscosity, acid value, heating value, etc.) are comparable to those of fuel diesel. This paper investigates in detail this option presenting advantages, but also existing limits and gaps. Undoubtedly, incorporating the principles of supply-chain management enabled by information technology (IT) systems to support these processes is a more effective and efficient option to enhance the efficiency of algae-based biodiesel production

A mobile platform for collaborative urban freight transportation

Abstract In recent years, online shopping is increasing the flows that transit into the urban areas. An increase in demand corresponds to an increase in operational complexity for logistics operators and environmental issues. This paper presents the development of a mobile platform integrated with wearable features to foster the collaboration between different actors in urban freight logistics

Reverse Logistics Performance Indicators for the Construction Sector: A Building Project Case

While the performance evaluation of reverse logistics (RL) practices in the construction sector is crucial, it is seemingly limited compared to that in the manufacturing sector. As the project life cycle in the construction sector is typically long, effective coordination among the stakeholders is needed to integrate RL into each phase of the project life cycle. This paper proposes a new model of RL for the construction industry, incorporating the dimensions, elements, and, most importantly, indicators needed for the evaluation of RL performance. The model was initially derived from the extant literature. It was then refined through (1) focus group discussion, by which suggestions pertinent to the proposed model were collated from academics and practitioners, and (2) judgments by academics and practitioners to validate the model. The validated model includes 21 indicators to measure RL performance, spanned throughout the green initiation, green design, green material management, green construction, and green operation and maintenance phases. The paper offers a new method for how RL can be adopted in the construction industry by proposing an innovative model that will benefit stakeholders in the construction industry

Factors for implementing green supply chain management in the construction industry

Purpose: The objectives of this study are to elaborate on the concepts, dimensions and elements of green supply chain management (GSCM) and develop a framework of GSCM implementation for the construction industry Design/methodology/approach: This paper presents the findings from a study where experts were asked to contribute their opinions related to GSCM in the construction industry. To develop the model, the Delphi method was used. The objective of this method is to achieve the most reliable consensus in a group of experts Findings: The research result is a developed framework for GSCM in the construction industry comprising five concepts, 22 dimensions, and 82 elements. Research limitations/implications: The limitation of this research is that its output was the discovered elements, but it did not cover the implementation of this model in construction projects, so some elements may be missing. Practical implications: The output of the research could give new perspective to manage the construction project based on Green Supply Chain Method. Social implications: The stakeholder of the construction project has to learn with this concept (Green Supply Chain) in order to improve construction’s project performance. Originality/value: The originality of this research is that it is a new theme in the area of the construction supply chain. Previous research merely considered the concept of GSCM in construction. Therefore, this research develops an assessment model for performance indicators of GSCM implementation in construction projects.Peer Reviewe

Operationally Responsive Space (ORS): An Architecture and Enterprise Model for Adaptive Integration, Test and Logistics

The capability to rapidly deploy tactical satellites to meet a Joint Force Commander\u27s immediate battlespace requirements is a well-documented joint capability need. Key U.S. strategic documentation cites the need for the capability to maintain persistent surveillance or an unblinking eye over battlespace and to rapidly reconstitute critical space capabilities to preserve situational awareness. The warfighter requires a tactical space-based deployment capability which employs a request to launch and operational deployment window of 90 to 120 days. This master\u27s thesis executed two (2) major areas of work: apply, and reinforce the Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) mission tasks using the Joint Capabilities Integration Development System (JCIDS) process; then based on capability gap data generated from the process, analyze and define the capability gap of an ORS Adaptive Integration, Test and Logistics (IT&L) process for payload to bus deployment to meet the identified time scales. This document recommends engineering solutions and processes for the ORS IT&L to-be state for this warfighter capability. The ORS adaptive IT&L CONOPS developed as part of this work focuses on the Tactical Satellite Rapid Deployment System (TSRDS), which is an adaptive integration, test and logistics capability that enables rapid and effective payload to bus integration to meet a 90- to 120-day warfighter window