Assessing the Efficiency of a PSS Solution for Waste Collection: A Simulation Based Approach ☆

Abstract Driven by both policy pressures and environmental concerns, new business models are becoming applied in waste management mainly based on introducing more equitable and sustainable pricing schemes (e.g. "pay-as-you-throw"): the aim is to support the transition from a tax based system to a pure service based approach, where the user pays for the actual use of the waste management service provided. This new trend requires the service provider's activities to be planned with a schedule that reflects the actual users' needs in order to reach a real efficiency in the collection phase: dynamic routing and scheduling schemes, which could be enabled through the application of smart technologies, can lead to a more rational use of the resources. In the last decade, technological progresses allowed a growing use of IoT (Internet-of-Things) applications in the service sector; recent pilot applications are being tested also in waste management; one example is the introduction of bin level detection and data transmission technologies for waste collection. This work aims to contribute to the assessment of IoT-based PSS solutions for waste collection. The main objective is to evaluate the cost efficiency of a PSS for waste collection enabling dynamic scheduling, comparing it to the performance of more common schemes (e.g. fixed routing and scheduling service and call-based service). Hybrid simulation modelling – based on system dynamics, discrete events and agent based modelling- has been applied to test the transition from a fixed to a "pay-as-you-throw" fee in WEEE (waste from electrical and electronic equipment). A test case regarding an Italian municipality has been proposed to assess quantitative results based on a simulation model

Integrating Safety-I and Safety-II Approaches in Near Miss Management: A Critical Analysis

Safety-II is a recently theorized approach, considering safety as the ability of a system to reach a positive outcome under variable conditions: analyzing “what goes right” can help to understand the dynamics of the analyzed system and improve its inherent safety level. On the contrary, a more traditional perspective, defined as Safety-I, aims at analyzing “what goes wrong”, thereby relating the safety level of a system to the number of adverse events that occurred. This study explores the potentialities of integrating these two approaches in near-miss management. Through a Safety-I approach, near-miss events are analyzed to identify the root causes generating the event chain, in order to delete them and prevent future accidents. Applying a Safety-II approach, the analysis can include elements that contributed to limiting the consequences and blocking the event chain, revealing the resilience level of the systems. This study presents a critical analysis of the two approaches and proposes a practical framework to integrate them into near-miss management systems. A test case shows the potential benefits of this integration. This work provides a tool to support the implementation of Safety-II on the operative level while suggesting a new perspective for near-miss management

Supporting Circular Economy through Use-Based Business Models: The Washing Machines Case

Abstract The circular economy paradigm is being widely studied as a possible path to a sustainable development, decoupling economic growth from material consumption and environmental impacts. The introduction of new business models, based on use rather than ownership, has been identified as one of the possible enabling actions for the implementation of circular economy strategies. Thus, product-service systems (PSS) can represent a viable way for companies and customers to switch from a linear to a circular scheme, keeping together the advantages of a customer-oriented offer to those of dematerialization. In this work, an example of innovative, circular business model for the large appliances sector is proposed, based on a PSS and a closed-loop supply chain. A context study, supported by a deep literature analysis, is performed to identify the main changes involved in the transition from a traditional to a circular supply chain in the sector, as well as the main impacts on the actors involved, through causal loop diagrams. The study is a first step for the realization of a system dynamics model, for a further research on impact assessment

A Measurement Tool for Circular Economy Practices: A Case Study in Pallet Supply Chains

A circular economy (CE) is an economic system where products and services are traded in closed loops or ‘cycles’. This work develops a framework for assessing the extent to which product supply chains incorporate circular economy principles, and applies this framework to a specific material handling application, the wooden pallet supply chain. The main decisions affecting circularity and the most common decision alternatives for the wooden pallet supply chain are identified for the Pre-manufacturing, manufacturing, product delivery, customer use, and end-of-life phases. A streamlined life cycle assessment tool is developed for supporting a quick analysis about how the level of adoption of CE strategies could support environmental sustainability in pallet supply chains. A questionnaire, scoring, and assessment are presented for each phase of a pallet supply chain to reduce input and use of natural resources, reduce emission levels, reduce valuable materials losses, increase share of renewable and recyclable resources, and increase the value of durability of products. A case study is used to test the proposed method and present a contrast between two scenarios

Improving the Environmental Sustainability of Pallet Logistics through Preemptive Remanufacturing: An Integer Linear Optimization Model

The use of pallets is crucial in handling and transportation processes and wooden pallet represent the most common packaging type in the US and in Europe. This work focuses on the environmental impact of wooden pallet reverse logistics, exploring the advantages of preemptive remanufacturing policies. Preemptive schedules allow the service provider to allocate transportation emissions across multiple pallet components, increasing the environmental efficiency of the transportation process. This advantage has to be compared to the lost opportunity of repairing a usable component earlier than required. An integer linear optimization model analyzes this trade-off and the benefits of a preemptive remanufacturing schedule are described. The impact of transportation distance on the efficiency of preemptive policies is explored through a sensitivity analysis

Improving the Environmental Sustainability of Pallet Logistics through Preemptive Remanufacturing: An Integer Linear Optimization Model

The use of pallets is crucial in handling and transportation processes and wooden pallet represent the most common packaging type in the US and in Europe. This work focuses on the environmental impact of wooden pallet reverse logistics, exploring the advantages of preemptive remanufacturing policies. Preemptive schedules allow the service provider to allocate transportation emissions across multiple pallet components, increasing the environmental efficiency of the transportation process. This advantage has to be compared to the lost opportunity of repairing a usable component earlier than required. An integer linear optimization model analyzes this trade-off and the benefits of a preemptive remanufacturing schedule are described. The impact of transportation distance on the efficiency of preemptive policies is explored through a sensitivity analysis

A Cloud-Based Tool for Integrating Occupational Risk Assessment Within Management Systems for {SMEs}

About 67% of workers employed in the industrial and service sectors in the European Union are currently contracted by Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), which represent the economic heart of the European economy. However, this strength is counterbalanced by a considerably higher overall accident rate compared to Large Enterprises (LEs), and this trend seems to be confirmed worldwide. Moreover, most available tools for risk assessment and occupational health and safety (OHS) management are originally designed to fit the needs of LEs, resulting in a gap for SMEs. Therefore, the effective management of OHS in SMEs has become a crucial issue for researchers, practitioners and policymakers, aiming to improve the social and economic sustainability of small companies. The main purpose of this study is to provide guidelines to implement effective risk assessment processes and integrate them with OHS management systems in SMEs. A literature analysis of risk assessment and OHS management in SMEs highlights the main findings and gaps. Then, the three-phases methodology adopted is presented, outlining the main steps and outputs of the project. Finally, the web-based software tool for OHS risk analysis and management, designed to answer the specific needs of SMEs, is presented