Sustainable supply chain manufacturing can be defined as a method for manufacturing that minimizes waste and reduces the environmental impact.

These goals are to be obtained mainly by adopting practices that will influence the product design, process design and operational principles.

Production engineers, factory planners and product designers must identify improvement measures for existing manufacturing systems as well as innovative concepts for new facilities.

As the scope of work may be very wide when we are refering to sustainable manufacturing, we are focusing below on initiatives that may be implemented :

• Basic principles: Pollution Prevention, Reduction of toxic substances, DfE
• Green waste: Solid waste, Hazardous waste, Air emissions, Wastewater discharges
• Method tools: Although different tools, such as LCA, DfE , and EOL strategies are widely used, green practices are usually based on customised approach.
• Product design: Design, including the tools, such a DfE, focuses on decreasing scrap in many areas of the product life cycle by planning waste reduction from the first stages of the production
• Inventory: High replenishment frequencies imply higher emissions, so replenishment frequencies need to be reduced
• Pollution: Reduces any pollution that happens during the production process