How can Industrial Engineering Help to

Achieve Sustainability ?

The Sustainability Concept

Triple Bottom Line

People: Good for SocietyFair practices for all people and does not exploit interest of separate parties based on money, status or growth.

Planet: Good for the EnvironmentManagement of renewable and non renewable resources while reducing waste.

Profit: Good for the EconomyFinancial benefit enjoyed by the majority of society.

The Product Life-Cycle

Cradle-to-grave:

Products are assessed at every aspect throughout its entire life cycle (design to disposal)

Cradle-to-cradle:

Products are evaluated for sustainability and efficiency in manufacturing processes, material properties, and toxicity as well as potential to reuse materials

Multiple individuals, acting independently, and solely and rationally consulting their own self-interest, will ultimately deplete a shared limited resource, even when it is clear that it is not in anyone's long-term interest for this to happen.

Possible Solutions: Triple bottom line accounting Emissions trading systems Including environmental benefits in cost-benefit

analysis Life cycle cost analysis

Sustainability - Economics

NaturalResources

Goods andServices

Pollution, Waste and Environmental

Disturbances

Source: World Resources Institute

Approximately 25% of what goes ‘in the pipe’ comes out as goods and services.

Today’s Material Flow

Source: World Resources Institute

Tomorrow’s Material Flow

Reduce Use of Natural

Resources

Recover Technica

l Nutrient

s

References[1] Garrett Hardin, ”The Tragedy of the

Commons”, Science, Vol. 162, No. 3859 (December 13, 1968), pp. 1243-1248.

[2] epa.gov, nrel.gov

[3] http://www.episodes.org/backissues/264/279-284.pdf, http://www.groundwater.org/gi/contaminationconcerns.html

[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_transport, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommuting

[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_car, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiesel, http://www.biodieselsustainability.com/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy

References[6] http://rainforests.mongabay.com/1010.htm,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logging, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulp

[7] http://www.sustainablefish.org/, http://marinebio.org/Oceans/Conservation/sustainable-fisheries.asp

[8] http://www.epa.gov/ord/lrp/research/landfill.htm, http://www.wm.com/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landfill

[9] http://www.usgbc.org/, http://www.greenbuilding.com/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_building, http://www.carbonsmart.com/carboncopy/2009/03/leed-breeam-and-green-star-joining-forces.html

Industrial Engineering Approach to SustainabilityFor a given topic, students should be able to

address the following questions:

What are the issues that impact sustainability? What is currently known about these issues?

What are the life cycle stages?In what stage(s) do the various impacts take place?

How can data help?What knowledge is needed to better understand

how to achieve sustainability?

Where are better decisions possible?What are possible actions to achieve sustainability?

Example: Public Transportation

Life Cycle Stages

Stage 1: Identify the area that needs public transportation. Develop a public transportation plan (rail or road).

Stage 2: Build public transportation system.

Stage 3: Utilize the public transportation system.

Note: This set of stages can loop around since the system can be expanded as more public transportation is needed.

Public Transportation

Sustainability Impacts

People: Provide a more sustainable transportation option (stage 3).

Planet: Reduce the quantity of private transport, which helps to

reduce vehicle emissions in the region (stages 2 & 3).

Improve the region’s transportation infrastructure (stage 2).

Profit: Provide a potentially more cost-effective option of

transportation (stages 2 & 3).

Public Transportation

How Can Data Help?Collecting data on public transportation usage can

help guide the development in other cities.Collecting data on vehicle traffic before and after

building public transportation can help assess impacts.

Where are Better Decisions Possible?Optimize the public transportation plan.Determine effective ways to improve the efficiency of

public transportation.

Example: Biodiesel forCleaner Energy

Life Cycle Stages

Stage 1: Acquire resources, specifically diesel, vegetable oil (such as from crops or waste oil), and other chemicals for processing biodiesel.

Stage 2: Manufacture biodiesel. This includes the production of various grades of biodiesel fuels using different processes.

Stage 3: Burn biodiesel fuel to generate power, in particular, for vehicles.

Biodiesel forCleaner Energy

Sustainability ImpactsPeople:

Provide a more sustainable alternative fuel for existing combustion-based vehicles (stage 3).

Planet: Reuse vegetable oil waste (stage 1).

Emit less CO2 compared to other fuels (stage 3).

Produce glycerin for soap manufacturing (stage 2).

Recycle the catalyst (NaOH +CH3OH) throughout the manufacturing process (stage 2).

Profit: Create alternatives to typical fossil fuel resources (stage 1).

Biodiesel forCleaner Energy

How Can Data Help?The performance of biodiesel vs. conventional fuels

can be compared by collecting data on fuel efficiency, cost, emissions, etc.

The properties of the biodiesel can be improved by collecting data on biodiesel manufacturing via different processes.

Where are Better Decisions Possible?Optimize the performance of biodiesel fuels.Minimize the cost of the biodiesel powered vehicle.

Example: Logging

Life Cycle Stages

Stage 1: Identify where to harvest the trees.

Stage 2: Use the trees for paper production and other manufacturing purposes.

Stage 3: Plant trees to replenish lost species.

Logging

Sustainability ImpactsPeople:

Create useful products made from trees (stage 2).

Balance CO2 and O2 by replenishing logged trees (stage 3).

Planet: Prevent soil erosion or landfall (stage 1).

Create recyclable and biodegradable products made from trees (stage 2).

Maintain the natural bio-diversity of trees (stage 3)

Profit: Manufacture and sell products made from trees (stage 2).

Maintain future resources (stage 3).

Logging

How Can Data Help?Study CO2 levels before and after planting trees.

Monitor deforestation and biodiversity before and after logging and reforestation.

Where are Better Decisions Possible?Optimize where and how much logging to conduct

without excessive deforestation.Optimize reforestation to maintain biodiversity.

Example: Fisheries

Life Cycle Stages

Stage 1: Locate the area/period where/when the given variety/size of fish are found.

Stage 2: Conduct fishing, including unintended by-catches.

Stage 3: Monitor breeding and fish populations in various regions.

Fisheries

Sustainability ImpactsPeople:

Purchase fish for consumption (stage 2).

Planet: Maintain the natural distribution of food among the aquatic fauna (stages 2 & 3).

Maintain the ocean food web by fishing the right quantity (stages 1 & 3).

Profit: Sell fish to consumers (stage 2).

Consider future resources while fishing (stage 3).

Fisheries

How Can Data Help?Collecting data on the amount of fish caught over

different periods of time helps in maintaining natural fish populations.

Over-fishing can be minimized by collecting data on breeding periods of different kinds of fish.

Where are Better Decisions Possible?Optimize the quota limits on fish of different species.Optimize mesh sizes to minimize by-catches.

Example: Groundwater

Life Cycle StagesStage 1:

Study the precipitation patterns by region to design the reservoir system.

Stage 2: Capture water in branch reservoirs.

Stage 3: Transfer water to the main reservoir or to other reservoirs for flood control.

Stage 4: Use the stored water for drinking, irrigation, hydro-electric power, etc.

Groundwater

Sustainability Impacts

People: Increase the availability of water for drinking, irrigation and

power generation (stage 4).

Planet: Minimize flooding caused by heavy rainfall (stage 2).

Reduce the scarcity of groundwater (stage 2).

Profit: Maintain future water resources (stage 3).

Groundwater

How Can Data Help?Collecting data on the water collected in a reservoir

system can help model variations in the water supply.Collecting data on the groundwater level before and

after building reservoirs can help to assess environmental impacts.

Where are Better Decisions Possible?Optimize the flow of water between reservoirs to

maintain the water supply and achieve flood control.Optimize the design of a water reservoir system.

Example: Green Building

Life Cycle StagesStage 1:

Determine site and building plan.

Stage 2: Acquire/manufacture environmentally-friendly materials.

Stage 3: Construct the building.

Stage 4: Utilize the building.

Stage 5: Dispose/Reuse/Recycle the materials used for the building.

Green Building

Sustainability ImpactsPeople:

Improve public health by using environmentally-friendly materials (stage 1).

Planet: Reduce waste by recycling/re-using (stages 2 & 5).

Improve energy efficiency and reduce water usage (stage 4).

Profit: Enable “green” marketing (stage 3).

Reduce resource (water, energy) and maintenance costs (stage 4).

Green Building

How Can Data Help?Performance of the solar energy can be studied by

collecting data on different solar technologies.The impact of site orientation can be studied by

collecting data on light and heat entering a building.

Where are Better Decisions Possible?Study the cost-effectiveness of using locally available

resources.Identify the potential of reusing the reusable materials

for various purposes.

Example: Bioreactor /Waste Management

Life Cycle StagesStage 1:

Build the bioreactor.

Stage 2: Adjust the micro-organisms in the process to handle different types of waste.

Stage 3: Convert waste to useful fertilizers and methane gas. Harmless gases are released.

Stage 4: Scrap the bioreactor.

Bioreactor for Waste Management

Sustainability ImpactsPeople:

Reduce harmful emissions of due to decomposition (stage 3).

Planet: Recycle moisture in waste decomposition, making the

process more efficient (stage 2).

Reduce landfill space by speeding up waste decomposition (stages 2 & 3).

Profit: Preserve land from landfill use, so that it can be used for

other purposes in the future (stage 3).

Produce fertilizers and methane energy as useful products (stage 3).

Bioreactor for Waste Management

How Can Data Help?Efficiency can be improved by collecting data on the

decomposition rates of different wastes using different bio-processes.

Emissions can be studied by collecting data on the gases emitted during waste decomposition.

Where are Better Decisions Possible?Identify the potential for converting different waste

types into useful products.Identify the most cost-effective bio-process to achieve

the desired waste decomposition.