Page 52 - Plastics News July 2024
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FEATURE NEWS
Driving Sustainability: A Case Study in
Environmental Impact Reduction
case study of a plastic casing product, con- The research highlights the potential for signifi-
ducted by the plastic injection moulding spe- cant improvements in the design and assessment
A cialist Paramit in Malaysia showcased the ef- of existing plastic products. The integration of Lean
ficacy of integrating Lean and Life Cycle Assessment manufacturing techniques and Life Cycle Assess-
(LCA) techniques. ment (LCA) has proven highly effective in reducing
the environmental impacts of the injection mould-
By applying Lean methods alongside LCA, research- ing process.
ers achieved a 40% reduction in negative environ-
mental impacts, including climate change, human Future work should quantify the cost benefits of
toxicity, and acidification. Moreover, key improve- reducing environmental impact while exploring ad-
ments included a 90% reduction in production lead vanced methods like three-stage Data Envelopment
time, a 40% decrease in material usage, a 41% re- Analysis (DEA). Additionally, adopting these integrat-
duction in energy consumption, and a 32.3% cut ed techniques can help manufacturers achieve sub-
in transportation requirements. This integrated stantial cost savings and comply with environmental
approach provides a robust framework for making regulations. Furthermore, these efforts will contrib-
products more environmentally friendly. ute to global sustainability initiatives and improve
energy-intensive injection molding processes.
To read more about this case of study: Journal of
Cleaner Production and Paramit Manufacturing. Source – Plastics Engineering
54 PLASTICS NEWS July 2024
