Process eco-innovation: assessing meso-level eco-efficiency in industrial water-service systems

Eco-innovation combines economic advantage with lower ecological-resource burdens. Eco-innovation has been generally directed at energy input-substitutes, component recycling, etc. Some companies have made investments reducing resource burdens in the production process. This study investigated options for eco-efficiency improvement in two large manufacturing companies, Volvo and Arla Foods. Their impetus for eco-innovation comes from the companies' environmental policies, as well as from external drivers such as future higher costs and resource scarcity. Relative to their respective industrial sector, these companies represent strong prospects for reducing resource burdens in water-service processes, especially from chemical inputs and wastewater. Such eco-innovations involve more complex interactions beyond the production site, so the options warrant a whole-system comparative assessment. The EcoWater project has analysed the entire water-service value chain through meso-level interactions among heterogeneous actors (process-water users, providers and wastewater treatment companies). The project has developed a methodology to obtain the necessary information, to involve stakeholders in the assessment and to facilitate their discussion on alternative options. Each study stimulated internal company discussions on the need and means to evaluate whole-system effects of investment decisions. Inter-organisational cooperation helped to anticipate how meso-level resource efficiency relates to lower burdens in wastewater treatment. The assessment method can be extended to any water-service system. By comparing options, the method can facilitate better decisions improving meso-level resource efficiency. As wider implications, some improvement options may complicate ‘eco-innovation’ as double-eco benefits: win-win for whom, where and what level

Improving the eco-efficiency of an agricultural water use system

During the last two decades, the concept of eco-efficiency has been recognized as a suitable measure of progress towards a greener and more sustainable economy. The prefix “eco-” refers to both economic and ecological (environmental) performance. The need for improving eco-efficiency leads to the challenge of identifying the most promising alternative solutions which improve both the economic and the environmental performance of a given system (“eco-innovations”). Therefore, it becomes critical to develop eco-efficiency metrics for measuring environmental and economic performance of a system. The current paper presents a methodological framework that attempts to explore the use of eco-efficiency indicators in meso-level water use systems and through them to assess the impact of innovative technologies in such systems. The assessment of the environmental performance follows a life-cycle oriented approach using the midpoint impact categories while the economic performance is measured using the Total Value Added to the product due to water use. The eco-efficiency is expressed as the ratio of the economic performance indicator to the environmental performance indicator. The proposed approach is applied to a water use system of the agricultural sector, and more specifically to the fresh form tomato crop production in Phthiotida. The analysis reveals that the most important environmental impacts of the system are (i) greenhouse gas emissions due to energy consumption, (ii) release of toxic substances, due to the use of fertilizers and pesticides and (iii) depletion of freshwater resources. Three alternative interventions are examined for upgrading the value chain: (i) installation of sub-surface drip irrigation system, (ii) replacement of diesel pumps with solar pumps and (iii) use of organic fertilizers. Based on the findings, all of the proposed interventions have a positive impact on the overall eco-efficiency of the system. Sub-surface drip irrigation is the least favorable mainly due to its high investment cost. The use of solar pumps strongly influences climate change and photochemical ozone formation while the use of organic fertilizers has a more balanced impact on all indicators, with an emphasis on eutrophication. Thus, for a more holistic approach, regarding the eco-efficiency performance, a combined application of these three scenarios may be proposed

A web-based Toolbox to support the systemic eco-efficiency assessment in water use systems

The eco-efficiency assessment of a water use system at the meso level, as well as the estimation of the anticipated eco-efficiency improvements as a result of innovative practices/technologies, is a conceptually and methodologically challenging issue. A systemic approach is required to capture the complexity of all interrelated aspects and the interactions among the heterogeneous actors involved in the system. This involves mapping the behaviour of the system into representative models, structuring the analysis in easy to understand procedures and developing versatile software tools for supporting the analysis. This paper presents a web-integrated suite of tools and resources (EcoWater Toolbox) for assessing eco-efficiency improvements from innovative technologies in water use systems. Equipped with a continuously updated inventory of currently available technological innovations as well as a repository of eco-efficiency indicators and their evaluation rules, the EcoWater Toolbox supports a comprehensive four-step eco-efficiency assessment of a water use system: (1) allows the users to frame the case study by defining system boundaries, describing the water supply chain and value chains and including all the actors; (2) helps the users to establish a baseline eco-efficiency assessment, using the integrated modelling tools; (3) supports the users in identifying both sector-specific and system-wide technologies and practices to suit their situation, through the integrated technology inventory; and (4) enables the users to assess innovative technology solutions by developing predictive technology scenarios and comparing these with baseline results. At the core of the Toolbox are two modelling tools, which combine both economic and environmental viewpoints into a single modelling framework. The “Systemic Environmental Analysis Tool” (SEAT) assists in building a representation of the physical system, its processes and interactions and forms the basis for evaluating the environmental performance of the system. The “Economic Value chain Analysis Tool” (EVAT) addresses the value chain and focuses on the economic component of the eco-efficiency. Both tools provide a graphical model construction interface that is implemented in client-side and incorporate advanced features such as model scripting. The methodology adopted and the operational aspects of the EcoWater Toolbox are presented and demonstrated through the assessment of the eco-efficiency performance associated with the water value chain in the case of a milk production unit of a dairy industry