In the field of sustainable development one of the challenging issues is the rate at which materials and energy are converted into waste. Consider the following statistics: (Ayres, 1998)1. For every 100 pounds of product manufactured, we create about 3,200 pounds of waste; and,2. Only 6% of the materials we extract each year from the Earth become durable goods; the other 94% is converted into waste within a few weeks or months.3. While the above figures apply to all materials from the time they are extracted from the earth to the time they are discarded, our analysis of articles made from major thermoplastics confirms indeed that about 87% of commodity thermoplastic are discarded within a few weeks to months of production from crude oil. At today's prices this amounts to sending $15 to 20 billion (enough to eradicate Malaria) to landfill sites around the country at a high cost to society. While the tremendous benefits that plastics have provided to society are undisputable, this level of wasted wealth, combined with their impact on Greenhouse gases and carbon footprint during their lifetime call for a concerted effort to find balanced solutionsThis paper present a strategic framework for sustainable business growth based on a model of sustainable production, recovery and re-use. As a starting point, there are two sets of guiding principles, called Ecological Principles and Economic Principles. They apply nature's principles to guide the use of a single material along a time line to preserve and extend the material's DNA to its next life. By designing and making simple short lived articles first, and subsequently using the nearly pure material again for complex long lived articles the time-value of materials can be extended. By proactively facilitating the transfer of materials and information from one manufacturer to the next at the end of the useful life of the articles manufacturers could benefit financially. Application of these principles reduces the amount of material and energy input and recaptures some of the value lost to waste and enhance both ecological and economic value.However to capture significant value from these principles companies must look beyond their own boundaries and even beyond their traditional value chain to non-traditional partners who can give their materials a next life. Realizing these opportunities requires a shift in thinking to conceive new business models and non-traditional relationships. This paper will explore a few business frameworks for re-thinking the business model, redesigning the products and re-engaging employees.
展开▼
