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Barriers to the adoption of waste-reducing eco-innovations in the packaged food sector: A study in the UK and the Netherlands
Abstract
The food processing sector has a considerable environmental impact, due to large volumes of food and packaging waste. Eco-innovations present an important opportunity to reduce this impact. Yet, initial insights suggest that new technologies face considerable challenges to their adoption. The eco-innovation adoption literature has overlooked the food processing sector. The purpose of this paper is to examine the barriers inhibiting the adoption of waste reducing eco-innovations in the food processing sector. We present four detailed case studies of new technologies at different stages of adoption in the UK and Netherlands. The findings reveal ten barriers to the adoption of waste reducing technologies in the food processing sector. The barriers identified include concerns over the influence of technologies on the product’s characteristics, its retailing, and a perceived lack of consumer demand. These barriers arise from the powerful influence of retailers within the food supply chain, the influence of technologies on in-store point of sale displays, and the need for distribution trials. We conclude that the adoption of new technologies requires simultaneous acceptance by both food processor and retailers. The paper provides recommendations for policy makers and innovation managers to increase the adoption and diffusion of waste reducing technologies in the food processing sector, as well as implications for future research.
... Only in the United States food industry is responsible for 20 % to 30 % of environmental damage (Simms et al., 2020). In 2017, approximately 30 kg of plastic packaging waste was generated per inhabitant per year in Europe (Geueke et al., 2018). ...
... Fear of failure about green innovation Critical factor due to not knowing what the effect will be both for the market and for their own production processes. Movahedipour et al., 2017;Rahman et al., 2020;Simms et al., 2020;Ullah et al., 2021;Vernier et al., 2021;Waqas et al., 2018. ...
... The degree of technological information to understand green innovation is at a high level, but companies give little information due to sustainability constraints. Assumpção et al., 2019;Clark et al., 2019;Farrukh et al., 2022;Hebaz & Oulfarsi, 2021;Movahedipour et al., 2017;Rahman et al., 2020;Simms et al., 2020;Ullah et al., 2021;Waqas et al., 2018. ...
The awareness of green supply chain management (GSCM) has grown in the past year, particularly in the food packaging industry, due to population growth and its environmental impact. To explore this, we studied global perspectives on and contributions to GSCM, aiming to apply insights to developing countries. Our research revealed three main barriers hindering GSCM adoption in emerging economies: limited knowledge,inadequate technology, and high costs. By examining several authors’ viewpoints, we created a timeline showcasing GSCM’s evolution, enabling targeted improvements within the food packaging industry. Through this analysis, our paper not only reaffirms its initial objectives but also provides a foundation of tools and information for future GSCM research. This work contributes to the understanding of GSCM’s benefits and challenges, facilitating sustainable practices in a vital industry.
... Companies are also seen adopting green innovation to gain sustainable competitive advantages and reduce their environmental impact (Arranz et al. 2021; Afshari et al. 2020). Technology, such as in the improvement of food and packaging waste, plays a crucial role in this effort (Simms et al. 2020). Green innovation signi cantly reduces the environmental burden on manufacturing and transportation industries, particularly in terms of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions (Wang and Yang 2021). ...
... The importance of supply chain for eco-innovation adoption has been widely recognized (Simms et al. 2020). Technology vendors, food processors and merchants present adoption challenges in this article. ...
... According to Cluster 1, the importance of supply chain in adopting ecological innovation has been widely acknowledged (Simms et al. 2020). (Simms et al. 2020) made a contribution to the existing literature by revealing adoption barriers brought by technology suppliers, food processors and retailers. ...
What is the significance of understanding the determinant factors and motivations behind a firm’s decision to adopt green innovations, identifying the sources of barriers and what are the outcomes of such adoption? How do the findings from the literature review help to define the conceptual framework for green innovation adoption (GIA)? What are the future research trends? To address these research questions, a systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted. After defining inclusion and exclusion search criteria, a systematic search of peer-reviewed articles from the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases was conducted. The search database contained 84 papers, of which 42 met the specific analysis goals of this study using the InOrdinatio method. The results indicated a growing interest in green innovation, with 78.57% of papers published between 2015 and 2022. Top research countries include Pakistan, the EU, China, the USA and Malaysia. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods were used in selecting the papers, which highlight leading firms as protagonists in developing new technologies. This research aims to promote internal factors that firms can manage, rather than complying with external factors beyond their control. Based on the SLR, this paper proposes a proposition and a conceptual model for further research on GIA. This study offers a novel framework and understanding for researchers to explore the antecedents and consequences of GIA by enterprises. Based on the identified literature gaps, promising avenues for future research were proposed.
... There are four challenges to the economic category. The first is the cost of biopolymers, which is considered a substantial impediment to a long-term transition to such materials ( Beltran et al., 2021 ) and alternatives to waste management for end-of-life processes Simms et al., 2020 ;Rathwell, 2019 ;Coles, 2013 ). Another highcost concern is the excessive cost of manufacturing recycled materials ( Bening et al., 2021 ;Wang et al., 2016 ) and the utilization of sustainable/environmentally friendly materials ( Pires et al., 2021 ;Wu et al., 2021 ;Boz et al., 2020 ;Molina -Besch & Pålsson, 2020 ;de Römph & van Calster, 2018 ; Rujni ć-Sokele & Pilipovi ć, 2017 ). ...
... Moreover, the lack of skills and qualifications in CE practices challenges in the literature are from a scarcity of qualified professionals to assist in the application of food waste management technology ( Ciccullo et al., 2021 ;Farooque et al., 2019 ); sufficient training to track development ( Wang et al., 2016 ); skills in eco-design ( Olsson et al., 2011 ). Also, technical guidance and education programs are required to develop confidence and expertise in CE practices ( Velasco-Muñoz et al., 2021 ;Simms et al., 2020 ). ...
... Another challenge is assessing the material ( Pires et al., 2021 ;Pauer et al., 2019 ) and the con-temporary design to ensure that the new model does not limit customer functionality ( Pastor & Nicol, 2021 ;Verghese & Lewis, 2007 ) in terms of practical recyclability ( Watkins et al., 2020 ;Coles, 2013 ). Another challenge that emerges from the challenge for many researchers is the determination of alternatives (Sarfaz et al., 2020), innovative ( Gallucci et al., 2021 ;Brennan et al., 2020 ;Simms et al., 2020 ;Guillard et al., 2018 ) and technologically enhanced alternatives that can assist in reducing the environmental concerns ( Mironescu et al., 2021 ;Borrello et al., 2016 ). ...
Abstract
Packaging is considered as one of the most important activities of the food supply chain. Even though it serves a vital role in both the supply chain management and manufacturing industry; knowledge base for the implementation of extended producer's responsibility for packaging is significantly ignored and inadequate. Thus, aim of this article is to identify and analyse the challenges to circular food packaging in the literature for reduced food waste and sustainable food supply chain. To reach this aforementioned aim, as an initial step, systematic literature review is conducted with 189 articles. Articles were gathered from databases including Web of Science (WoS), MDPI and Scopus. In total of 26 challenges are selected and classified under 7 categories. Moreover, findings provide a further analysis with multi-dimensional perspective to the circular food packaging including CE principles (9Rs), packaging materials and sub-sectors in food industry. The study ended with the interpretation of results and implications which will guide practitioners and policy makers.
Keywords
circular economy, Sustainable Packaging, sustainable food supply chain, Food waste, food packaging
... Table 6 shows the differences between external challenges in the North and South countries. A study in the UK and Netherlands discussed technology risks and market and supply chain risks as adoption challenges (Simms et al., 2019), while all three studies in India reviewed the lack of government support and incentives in the case of technology adoption (Wang et al., 2015;Gardas et al., 2018;Kumar et al., 2021). Simms et al. (2019) revealed that the technology adoption in the food processing sector, as part of food supply chain, was not effective without simultaneous acceptance by both food processors and retailers. ...
... A study in the UK and Netherlands discussed technology risks and market and supply chain risks as adoption challenges (Simms et al., 2019), while all three studies in India reviewed the lack of government support and incentives in the case of technology adoption (Wang et al., 2015;Gardas et al., 2018;Kumar et al., 2021). Simms et al. (2019) revealed that the technology adoption in the food processing sector, as part of food supply chain, was not effective without simultaneous acceptance by both food processors and retailers. Most of the barriers to technology adoption in North countries were the perception of risk in the food supply chain actors, while external barriers in the South still lied in the supply chain ecosystem climate which was influenced by government policies and regulations. ...
... The internal challenges that need to be resolved in the South are the lack of human resource capabilities and the reluctance to change by accepting a new culture of technology (Wang et al., 2015;Gardas et al., 2018;Kumar et al., 2021), while North countries are facing environmental impacts due to FLW need supply chain capabilities that carry out environmentally friendly processes (Simms et al., 2019). The North countries also encounter a lack of consistent environmental guidance to develop this particular capability. ...
This study aims to increase our understanding of the technology-based initiatives, adoption challenges in reducing food losses in developed and developing economies countries. A systematic literature review using PRISMA Protocol has been conducted to analyze the 53 articles published from 2012 to 2021. The technology used in developed countries is the latest technology which mostly applies to autonomous systems, while in developing countries, automation systems that still considers human involvement are still applied. Lack of awareness, competency, and infrastructure are the main challenges in adopting technology to reduce food losses in developing countries, while technical risk, market risk, and financial risk are factors to be considered in developed countries. Authors therefore propose a conceptual model to be simulated further in future studies, especially in developing countries.
... Such packaging practices should consider the total environmental impacts related to packaging in a combined approach. Packaging waste increases in most countries as the gross domestic product grows and it often represents 15-20% of a country's total municipal solid waste (Tencati et al., 2016) with food packaging accounting for a greater share than other packaging types (Simms et al., 2020). It is, however, important not to reduce packaging without analysing the effects on food waste, as this often outweighs the environmental impact of the packaging material (Weber and Matthews, 2008). ...
... They also highlighted that brand owners take the financial risks. Simms et al. (2020) identified several barriers related to packaging to adopt waste-reducing eco-innovations in food supply chains. The study found that a company may lack the required production capabilities for adopting a new sustainable packaging solution as well as the financial resources needed to invest in new equipment. ...
... Gustavo et al. (2018) highlighted that new sustainable packaging solutions may Table 9 Empirically-based propositions of adoption barriers for sustainable packaging practices. -Lack of effective systems for reusable packaging -High complexity in existing processes and equipment and an extensive range of existing packages -Competing requirements on packaging from multiple stakeholders Adoption procedures P9: Lack of effective adoption procedures hinders adoption of sustainable packaging practices -Lack of a framework that can guide the adoption of sustainable packaging practices -Sustainability practices related to secondary and tertiary packaging are overlooked Training P10: Lack of effective training hinders sustainable packaging practices -Lack of general training and knowledge of staff about sustainable packaging affect sales and Simms et al. (2020) found a lack of financial resources to invest in new equipment. The case companies also faced communication restrictions that affect the adoption of sustainable packaging practices negatively. ...
Packaging can play a key role in reducing food waste and enabling resource efficient logistics operations. This paper offers insights into why this potential is not fully adopted by companies in food supply chains by exploring adoption barriers for sustainable packaging practices in ten companies in South Africa and Sweden. The paper develops an analytical framework from theory and applies it to the empirical data. This resulted in ten propositions that structure adoption barriers for sustainable packaging practices in food supply chains and explain the reasons for their occurrence. The propositions can form a basis for researchers to understand why the adoption of sustainable packaging practices in food supply chains may be lacking. Corporate decision-makers can use the propositions to form strategies and initiatives to overcome adoption barriers. The study also identified some contextual differences, but overall, the contextual impact on adoption barriers was surprisingly low. To deepen research and practice insights about the complexity of adopting sustainable packaging practices, the paper offers a process view on the adoption barriers in which their relationships are linked. The analytical framework and the process view offer integrative views on adoption barriers for sustainable packaging practices that enable researchers and practitioners to address them with a structured approach. This explorative study finally unfolds further research opportunities.
... Such strategic considerations motivate contemporary eco-innovation studies, on the one hand, to explore drivers (e.g., environmental regulation and policies) for adopting eco-innovation in the manufacturing (Dewangan et al., 2017) and China (Feng and Chen, 2018a). On the other hand, there are studies emphasising the strategic barriers (e.g., financing) facing the adoption and diffusion of eco-innovation in countries such as Sweden (Alderin et al., 2016), Korea (Yi et al., 2020) the United Kingdom and the Netherlands (Simms et al., 2020). Such ambiguities stress the need for comprehensive insights on strategic considerations for eco-innovation to enhance and align organisational level strategies with wider national and regional initiatives promoting socio-economic prosperity and sustainable development. ...
... The drivers or stimuli for eco- innovation include government funding and subsidies (Jové-Llopis and Segarra-Blasco, 2018; Yi et al., 2020); R&D (Hou et al., 2017); leadership skills (Bag, 2018); and firm's internal factors such as firm size, performance, and training (Galia et al., 2015;. In contrast, the barriers of eco-innovation adoption identified in the literature (Ghisetti et al., 2017;Simms et al., 2020) include financial barriers, lack of consumers' demand, cost-consciousness, and absence of pressures to eco-innovate by key social actors such as consumers, policy makers and NGOs. There are also phenomena with neutral influences on eco-innovation like economy's openness (Yi et al., 2020). ...
... Jové-Llopis and Segarra-Blasco, 2018;Yi et al., 2020) R&D(Hou et al., 2017;) Environmental regulation and policies(Chang et al., 2019; (Feng and Chen, 2018a);Gupta and Barua, 2018;Jin et al., 2017;Jové-Llopis and Segarra-Blasco, 2018;Roud and Thurner, 2018;Sanni, 2018;Tang et al., 2020; Wagner et al.Ghisetti et al., (2017) Impact of technology on products' characteristics, lack of consumers' demand, costconsciousness, and absence of pressures to eco-innovate by key social actorsSimms et al., (2020) Enterprise scale, and industrial structureYi et al., (2020) N.A. Janahi et al. ...
The purpose of this article is to review the eco-innovation literature involving manufacturing firms and to offer a comprehensive insight on strategic considerations from a manufacturing context. Applying the systematic review methodology, this review involves 142 journal articles published from 2006 to 2020. Using a thematic analysis, this review finds five main topics for manufacturing research: (i) eco-design and engineering, (ii) firm characteristics and performance, (iii) decision-making behaviour and options, (iv) industrial trends and indicators, and (v) energy intensity and efficiency. Eight main targets also serve as eco-innovation strategies for manufacturing practice: (i) industrial clusters and collaborations strategy, (ii) eco-engineering standards and skills strategy, (iii) green knowledge sharing and sourcing strategy, (iv) energy pricing and costing strategy, (v) innovation incentives and investments strategy, (vi) environmental regulations and protection strategy, (vii) energy structures and systems strategy, (viii) competitive and creative design strategy. Guided by these findings and an awareness of internal, external, and bilateral factors, this review proposes a multi-level strategic framework identifying design, organisational, and regional networks as central to the management of manufacturing eco-innovation. Additionally, premised on network and symbiotic framings for manufacturing eco-innovation, this article sets an agenda for future eco-innovation research involving manufacturing firms.
... These losses arise from the perishable and dynamic nature of food products and how they are managed (Tseng et al., 2018). Besides, the short shelf life of dairy products also creates issues in storage and the transportation stage of supply chains (Ghadge et al. 2020;Simms et al, 2020). Tseng et al. (2019) stated that technology and industry 4.0 tools can be used to tackle such challenges in dairy supply chains. ...
... The food industry has a negative effect on environmental factors because of the lack of effective food processing and packaging systems (Zeng et al., 2021); huge amounts of food are also wasted. Simms et al. (2020) suggested that eco-innovation and technological improvements have several benefits to reduce these negative environmental effects. Besides, through an efficient technological process in dairy supply chains, various advantages such as waste hindering and reduction, reuse, energy recovery, recycling and disposal are provided. ...
... Besides, through an efficient technological process in dairy supply chains, various advantages such as waste hindering and reduction, reuse, energy recovery, recycling and disposal are provided. However, lack of integration between technological processes (Powell et al. 2017;Gianni et al. 2017) and eco-efficiency can cause important challenges in minimizing food waste, unnecessary material usage and inefficient resource usage (Simms et al. 2020). IMSA (2013) and Mont et al. (2017) highlighted that innovative circular business models can decrease waste and promote more efficient resources to achieve sustainable competitive advantages. ...
This study determines the potential barriers to achieving circularity in dairy supply chains; it proposes a framework which covers big data driven solutions to deal with the suggested barriers. The main contribution of the study is to propose a framework by making ideal matching and ranking of big data solutions to barriers to circularity in dairy supply chains. This framework further offers a specific roadmap as a practical contribution while investigating companies with restricted resources. In this study the main barriers are classified as ‘economic’, ‘environmental’, ‘social and legal’, technological’, ‘supply chain management’ and ‘strategic’ with twenty-seven sub-barriers. Various big data solutions such as machine learning, optimization, data mining, cloud computing, artificial neural network, statistical techniques and social network analysis have been suggested. Big data solutions are matched with circularity focused barriers to show which solutions succeed in overcoming barriers. A hybrid decision framework based on the fuzzy ANP and the fuzzy VIKOR is developed to find the weights of the barriers and to rank the big data driven solutions. The results indicate that among the main barriers, ‘economic’ was of the highest importance, followed by ‘technological’, ‘environmental’, ‘strategic’, ‘supply chain management’ then ‘social and legal barrier’ in dairy supply chains. In order to overcome circularity focused barriers, ‘optimization’ is determined to be the most important big data solutin. The other solutions to overcoming proposed challenges are ‘data mining’, ‘machine learning’, ‘statistical techniques’ and ‘artificial neural network’ respectively. The suggested big data solutions will be useful for policy makers and managers to deal with potential barriers in implementing circularity in the context of dairy supply chains.
... Methodology Measures to reduce FLW (Ahumada and Villalobos, 2011) Deterministic optimization Planning design (An and Ouyang, 2016) Robust optimization Processing/storage facilities investment and pricing policy design (Brulard et al., 2019) Deterministic optimization Farming system design (Beullens and Ghiami, 2021) Deterministic optimization FSC structure design (Despoudi et al., 2018) Statistical analysis Collaboration (Fikar, 2018) Simulation Inventory and delivery strategy design (Hafliðason et al., 2012) Statistical analysis Temperature control (Herbon and Khmelnitsky, 2017) Stochastic optimization Dynamic pricing and replenishment policy design (Jonkman et al., 2018) Stochastic optimization Supply chain design (Janssen et al., 2018) Stochastic optimization Inventory replenishment policy design (Liljestrand, 2017) Qualitative analysis Logistics solutions (Mogale et al., 2017a,b) Deterministic optimization Transportation and storage design (Mogale et al. 2018) Deterministic optimization FSC network desgin (Maiyar and Thakkar, 2019) Deterministic optimization Logistics planning (Christensen et al., 2021) Qualitative analysis Forecasting accuracy (Orgut et al., 2016) Deterministic optimization Distribution design for food donation (Reddy et al., 2017) Simulation Procurement optimization, Routing design (Rey et al., 2018) Deterministic optimization Food rescue pickup and delivery logistics design (Rijpkema et al., 2014) Qualitative analysis Sourcing strategy (Sheppard et al., 2020) Qualitative analysis Decision-support infrastructure design (Song et al., 2021) Deterministic optimization Omni-channel strategies (Wang and Chen, 2017) Stochastic optimization Pricing policy design and coordination (Widodo et al., 2006) Deterministic optimization Delivery design , 2014). To investigate the mechanism of FLW generation, OM researchers apply different methodologies to identify and discuss the causes of FLW. ...
... Quantitative analysis based on qualitative research findings in the processing stage is thought to be underdeveloped (Raak et al., 2017). We could only find three papers investigating FLW issues in the processing stage (Raak et al., 2017;Redlingshöfer et al., 2017;Simms et al., 2020), and all of them use qualitative methods. ...
This paper presents a review of research on food loss and waste (FLW) from the perspective of operations management (OM). Supply chain FLW represents a significant challenge for researchers and practitioners grappling with issues of famine and inequitable access to food supplies. Our broad literature pool includes 346 articles published in prestigious OM, management, and prominent economics, environment, and food science journals. The contribution of this review is threefold. First, we provide insights into FLW studies from the lens of specific stages within the food supply chain and from the perspective of the entire food supply chain. Second, we identify overarching research themes in the FLW literature. Third, we draw insights from our literature sample, presentations in the leading OM conferences, working papers, and 30 semi-structured interviews of food supply chain stakeholders to provide a projection of future research opportunities. Such a review approach ensures our analysis being relevant to practice.
... Cleanliness, freshness, flavor, ease of cooking, and taste are other essential product characteristics that play an important part in consumers' purchase decisions [20]. On the supply side, the food industry has to address multiple challenges to minimize food wastage like proper traceability, packaging, cold chain, transportation, etc. Eco-innovation should be adopted to reduce food and packaging waste [46]. Proper traceability is required to monitor the live food condition along the supply chain, such as temperature, humidity, etc., to avoid food spoilage [11]. ...
... Simms et al.[46], Expert opinion Limited domestic market (DL6) A limited domestic market exists because of the lowincome level of the people. They cannot buy highcost processed products ...
The Indian food processing sector (IFPS) has a tremendous capability for growth that can improve the socio-economic conditions of the rural masses. The performance of this sector is lagging behind substantially when compared to other developing nations. This study aims to identify growth barriers at different supply chain (SC) stages in the IFPS. Delphi analysis is performed to find out the barriers in the IFPS. Eighteen growth barriers have been found through expert opinion and extensive literature review spanning across three supply chain tiers: farm level, distribution level, and the consumer level. Further, to prioritize and identify the relative importance of various barriers, the analytic hierarchy process is employed. The results show that the top growth barriers in IFPS are—the lack of standardization and quality in the processed food, rain-dependent farming, and the high cost of cold chain facilities. The novel contribution of this study lies in capturing the intricacies of growth barriers in IFPS in an integrated manner across different SC tiers. Interactions between the identified drivers are important to both practitioners and researchers in understanding and driving process, quality, and technology improvements. Finally, the results also throw light on prioritized areas of concern that can be a game-changer for policymakers in India and other developing nations.
... They found different barriers to the adoption of waste reducing technologies in the food processing sector, such as the influence of technologies on the product's characteristics, its retailing, and a perceived lack of consumer demand. The study suggests useful information for policy makers and innovation managers to increase the adoption and diffusion of these technologies in the food processing sector [66]. Fonseca et al., (2018) conducted an online survey among 99 Portuguese companies to evaluate their willingness to move from a linear to a CE. ...
... Moreover, the lack of high-skilled stuff as well as low investments rate in R&D are considered barriers for the internal development of innovations, as also pointed out by Avermaete et al., (2004) and Muscio et al., (2016) [47,48]. In contrast with Simms et al., (2020), the manufacturers didn't highlight the lack of consumer demand as a barrier to innovate [66]. Finally, as confirmed by Fonseca et al., (2018) and Keränen et al., (2020) there is the need to improve the collaboration among all the actors of the FSC in order to switch from a liner economy to a circular economy [36,67]. ...
The target 12.3 of the 2030 Agenda by the United Nations (UN) calls for halving per capita global food loss and waste. In this regard, the Food & Drink industry (F&D) could play a crucial role in reducing food waste and improving food safety by adopting healthy and eco-innovation packaging. Thus, this paper aims to investigate the F&D manufacturers’ willingness to invest in packaging innovations, such as active, intelligent, and compostable ones to achieve the UN target. In order to reach the stated objective, a multiple case study methodology was developed and administered to a sample of Italian micro and small-medium entrepreneurs located in the Apulia region. Results show that many firms were aware of their need for packaging innovation and of the available technological opportunity. However, only the F&D manufacturers who showed a Real demand, according to a taxonomy approach which also considers the Potential and Latent demand for the innovation, were effectively prompt to invest. Finally, most of the interviewed manufacturers were willing to invest in at least one packaging innovation, choosing mainly between the active packaging and the compostable one.
... Processing and Packaging DTs improves food efficiency by developing smart packaging, such as electrical sensors that detect gases to estimate remaining shelf life [32], and improved atmospheric technologies that extend shelf life by considering the respiratory rate of production and controlling the balance between O2 and CO2 that can reduce the FL of production [43]. Active packaging refers to the use of additives in packaging to extend shelf life [32], including timetemperature indicators (TTIs), which are devices on packaging that display time and temperature history that will permanently change color When the temperature is not as specified [23,44], this results in the product being wasted before its expiration date, and it is typically used for foods that are easily lost, such as fish, milk, meat, and so on. ...
... As regional food products are available to a certain geographical proximity, the non-availability of the same would make the consumers disinterested, which furthers decreases the market for the products (Fern andez-Ferr ın et al., 2019; Vahabi and Damba, 2013). Language is considered an important barrier for adoption of e-commerce for digital D2C as it creates problems in communication (Almousa, 2013), and availability of personnel with technical know-how of e-commerce and IT infrastructure creates challenge for its adoption (Simms et al., 2020). ...
Purpose
The digital direct-to-consumer (D2C) approach has seen widespread adoption across many industries, but its application to regional food products has been slower. This study aims to identify and rank the most significant challenges to the widespread use of digital D2C for regional food products.
Design/methodology/approach
A multi-criteria decision-making method called a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) was used to determine the order in which these obstacles were evaluated. Thirty-five barriers were identified and categorized into six categories named technological, operational, sociocultural, financial, market and institutional and regulatory barriers.
Findings
Market barriers ranked as the top barrier, and the technological barrier ranked the least significant amongst the main barrier categories for the adoption of digital D2C model for the regional food products. Lack of consumer awareness ranked number one globally, and lack of government subsidies ranked the least amongst the thirty-five identified barriers. Operational barriers came out to be second most significant barrier followed by institutional and regulatory barrier, sociocultural barrier, financial barrier and technological barrier.
Research limitations/implications
The findings of this research were derived through a numerical examination of data gathered from the Indian setting. It follows that the technological, sociocultural, financial, market, operational and institutional constraints, among others, outlined here are all unique to India. Because of the unique nature of the Indian setting, the results of this study can only be used there and not elsewhere. It is possible that future research will broaden the aims of this one and refine its methodology. Digital D2C adoption for regional food products may be prioritized and ranked using quantitative and qualitative data sources like ANP and TOPSIS. It is possible that similar studies may be conducted in nations which have a different set of operational, technological, sociocultural market and financial and regulatory barriers. Conceptual framework can be formed by integrating TAM and TPB to understand the buying behavior of regional food products via digital D2C.
Originality/value
This research is the first to identify challenges to the widespread use of the digital D2C model for regional food products. Policymakers and other interested parties can use this information to better understand the difficulties of expanding the distribution of regional food products beyond their immediate regions.
... However, there are few studies published in the literature that provide empirical evidence of the adoption and implementation of collaboration in eco-innovation activities (Janahi et al., 2021), particularly in eco-innovation of products, processes and management that improve economic performance (Geng et al., 2021). For this reason, a call is made for the scientific and academic community to guide their studies in the exploration of collaborative activities that allow the adoption and implementation of eco-innovation, not only in manufacturing companies in developed countries (Simms et al., 2020), but also in emerging economy countries (Yi et al., 2020). ...
Purpose
Eco-innovation is emerging as one of the most important constructs that improve environmental sustainability of firms. However, it has been shown that companies alone cannot adequately develop eco-innovation activities, which is why they require the implementation of external collaboration activities with intermediaries, suppliers and stakeholders to achieve a higher level of eco-innovation activities and improve business performance of manufacturing firms. Therefore, this research fills this gap by exploring the importance of the relationship between collaboration and eco-innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is conducted through an extensive literature review with a research model consisting of 5 measurement scales, 24 items and 4 hypotheses. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 460 firms in Mexico, analyzing the data set through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation models.
Findings
The results obtained from this study suggest that collaboration has significant positive effects both on the eco-innovation of products, processes and management, as well as on the business performance of companies in the automotive industry.
Practical implications
The findings of this study have important implications both for the public administration (e.g. development of policies to support companies and financing programs) and for the managers of companies in the automotive industry (e.g. training program for employees and collaboration with other firms).
Originality/value
This paper fills a research gap by expanding the limited body of knowledge that relates collaboration eco-innovation and business performance, which is why this research aims to fill this existing gap in the literature and explore the relationship between collaboration, eco-innovation and business performance.
... All the FPI levers that emerged from the literature were confirmed by the case studies except for supply chain integration, which was identified in the refurbish case study. Supply chain integration is not emphasised with reference to the FPI despite the fact that it is considered an important factor for the adoption of circular strategies in SMEs and requires an integrated approach for proper communication across all the players in the supply chain to maximise the use of resources [79]. ...
Given its unsustainable growth, the food packaging industry (FPI) has become a priority industry in the circular economy. Given the academic significance attributed to the gradations of circularity in maximising resource efficiency in the food packaging industry, this paper aims to identify the current state of the application of those gradations of circularity in the FPI by finding the least and most commonly used circular strategies in the FPI. Moreover, it aims to identify the drivers of and barriers to the implementation of the gradations of circularity and the levers for overcoming such barriers through SLR using multiple case studies, namely five small-medium enterprises (SMEs) in the FPI that each represent one of the five least implemented circular strategies. The research identified that the efforts of the FPI toward adopting circular strategies were not aligned with the gradations of circularity. Based on the research findings, a lever–barrier matrix is proposed as a toolkit for SMEs planning a transition toward the circular economy or are in the transition phase.
... Briefing -Esta é a primeira fase da projetação, ou seja, sua coleta de dados preliminares, a problemática, funções e os objetivos do projeto(GEUEKE;GROH;MUNCKE, 2018;SIMMS et al., 2020), estudos de campo(BUIL et al., 2017;REN et al., 2015), requisitos a serem observados (HARIGA; GLOCK; KIM, 2016; RUSSELL, 2014), dentre outros dados preliminares.(ii) Planejamento -A segunda fase, ocorre a escolha de materiais e processos de fabricação de embalagens (ABDUL KHALIL et al., 2018; ABHIJITH; ASHOK; REJEESH, 2018), além da análise técnica de viabilidade (ACEVES LARA et al., 2018; AGARSKI et al., 2019). ...
... Attempts have been made by many of the authors to synchronize such barriers, and there is a degree of consensus regarding internal and external barriers (Majumdar & Sinha, 2019;Massoud et al., 2010;Murillo-Luna et al., 2007Post & Altman, 1994;Zilahy, 2004). However, the mentioned barriers are also related to the hybrid strategy because of its proactive nature that responds to environmental changes readily (Simms et al., 2020). Since adopting a hybrid strategy is not limited to a company in a specific sector, the internal and external barriers are considered standard in the public or private sectors. ...
This study examines the impact of the barrier of adopting hybrid strategy on strategic performance using the oil sector in Iraq as a case. International oil companies consider various strategies in order to achieve superior performance. The procedure needs to overcome certain essential barriers for the adoption of the hybrid strategy that combines the cost leadership and differentiation strategy. The questionnaire was distributed online due to the COVID-19 pandemic that led to the closure of companies in the country. Out of the 537 questionnaires answered, 483 were used for further analysis which yielded usable response rate of 90%. The structural equation modeling results confirmed that the high costs of technologies, the priority of other external matters, inadequate industry regulation, insufficient supply, organizational capabilities, strategic capabilities, and financial capabilities are significantly related to strategic performance. The researchers recommend conducting an in-depth study of the phenomenon based on theoretical and empirical foundations, especially considering the relationship between the barriers of a hybrid strategy and strategic performance based on linear and non-compensatory relationships. This research sheds light on the barriers to adopting the hybrid strategy required by the oil sector as it relies on continuous production.
... Attempts have been made by many of the authors to synchronize such barriers, and there is a degree of consensus regarding internal and external barriers (Majumdar & Sinha, 2019;Massoud et al., 2010;Murillo-Luna et al., 2007Post & Altman, 1994;Zilahy, 2004). However, the mentioned barriers are also related to the hybrid strategy because of its proactive nature that responds to environmental changes readily (Simms et al., 2020). Since adopting a hybrid strategy is not limited to a company in a specific sector, the internal and external barriers are considered standard in the public or private sectors. ...
... Therefore, professionals should collect data that support the problem identification, the definition of functions, adopt sustainable objectives for the packaging project [138,139], conduct field studies to guide their actions [51,140] or analyze the appropriate requirements [27,141]. ...
The relationship between packaging and sustainability has caused the evolution of literature towards the minimization of environmental damage. The task of packaging professionals is becoming more demanding, as they need to collect information from distinct topics to stay up to date. The aim of this research is to gather information on packaging in the sustainability context to provide a systemic view of the contents, to identify opportunities, and define guidelines for packaging design. A systematic literature review of 472 papers was performed. The first step was a bibliographic search using Pack *, Sustainab *, and eco * as keywords. Secondly, the content analysis revealed the emergence of nine categories grouped in four clusters. These categories and nineteen subthemes were considered research opportunities. Going beyond the coding units of the content analysis, we have used context units to propose (i) the gathering of technical procedures to support the design phases of sustainable packaging; and (ii) the proposition of a framework based on the life cycle stages and design phases. At last, we have provided insights and guidelines that can be useful for packaging professionals.
... Available packaging technologies are rapidly changing [107]. However, the uptake of technologies by the food and drink industry is still slow [19]. ...
This chapter presents the methodology and consumer insights from a highly impactful research and design project, conducted over two years by the Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre and RMIT University. The project is designed to inform the Australian packaging industry in developing products and services that will reduce food waste. Food waste in Australia is a wicked problem, replete with paradoxes: people hate plastic but plastic saves food. The deep insights gained from the project have already resulted in significant changes to industry practices and new guidelines for packaging design. The methodology developed especially for this project is based on design thinking and ethnographic approaches, combined with quantifiable validation procedures. The study ensures industry actors have the right tools to make packaging decisions that reduce food waste.
... The second stream of literature deals with enlisting many factors that lead to high FLW generation in FSCs (Mena et al., 2011;Arivazhagan et al., 2016;Balaji et al., 2016;Gokarn and Kuthambalayan, 2017;Diaz−Ruiz et al., 2018;Gogo et al., 2018;Sedlmeier et al., 2019;Simms et al., 2020;Wu and Huang, 2018). Some of the major sources of FLW, as these studies indicate, include large travel distances, the lack of skilled labour, poor packaging, damage caused by mishandling, poor sorting, errors in quality checks, the lack of scientific harvesting techniques, a high number of mediators, the lack of post-harvest preservation and treatment, poor roads, inadequate cold storage facilities, unhygienic market conditions, the lack of regulation, low technical expertise and limited innovations that can prevent FLW. ...
This study examines the state of the art of the literature in the domain of food loss and waste (FLW) in food supply chains (FSC). The authors used a systematic literature review (SLR) approach to examine and synthesise the findings of the existing literature to identify the key research themes, research gaps and avenues of future research on FLW in FSC. To this end, this SLR considered 152 articles relevant for the review. The authors uncovered the extant literature in the domain by presenting the research profile of the selected studies, along with thematic analysis. The authors identified eight key themes from the extant literature. The themes range from factors responsible for FLW generation to new, emerging areas of research such as digitalisation and food surplus redistribution. The study’s findings will help clarify existing practices in FSC for waste mitigation and act as a foundation for strategic and policy initiatives in this area. The findings indicate that the major factors responsible for FLW include the poor management of perishable food items, stakeholder attitudes, buyer−supplier agreements and supply chain interruptions. Some of the important implications of the study include formal guidelines and policy-level interventions for assisting the accurate quantification of FLW along with an impetus on digitalisation to reduce FLW. The study concludes with the development of a research framework to assist future research in this domain.
... However this review is interested in the different perceptions of trade relations and their regulation within the scientific literature. Therefore, we did not include articles that dealt with waste-reducing innovations (Simms et al., 2020), supply chain risks on food wastage production (Mithun Ali et al., 2019). ...
This systematic review provides an overview of the various perspectives that investigate alternative trade arrangements in the global food sector. With child labor in cocoa production, health issues of plantation workers in the global south and unsustainable consumption patterns of consumers in the global north, trade arrangements in the global food sector remain on largely unsustainable pathways with vast consequences for a sustainable development. Alternative Trade arrangements have been proposed as one way to tackle the above-mentioned issues and have been increasingly investigated through the scientific literature. However, evidence about the impact of alternative trade arrangements on consumption in the global north or production in the global south is disputed. While there have been efforts to review the scientific literature, existing reviews have focused only on specific aspects (e.g. consumer perception or effectiveness of producer certification schemes). We therefore systematically reviewed 649 peer-reviewed publications that investigated food products and alternative trade arrangements to create a more comprehensive overview of the strand of literature, its epistemic similarities and differences. We found that the scientific literature is predominantly investigating the certified market, focusing on certification schemes and its implementations. Furthermore, we show that the literature is either focusing on producers or consumers and has a strong bias towards social aspects of sustainability. Using a quantitative word-based analysis, we identified three substantially different clusters: first, producer impact assessment, dominated by econometrics; second, contextual producer perspectives, emphasizing the political and social sphere through qualitative single case study analyses; and third consumers' attitudes and willingness to pay for ethical products, characterized by psychological and econometric measures. Based on our findings we propose three future directions for research in the field of alternative trade. First, scholars should put a stronger emphasis on going beyond the impact assessment of certification schemes and examine underlying aspects such as information asymmetries, smallholder empowerment and ethical consumption behavior. Second, interconnections between social and ecological factors needs further investigation as both factors have a strong influence on each other. Third, scholars should put a stronger focus on participatory approaches to gain a deeper understanding of root causes of unjust trade arrangements and enhance mutual understanding of scientific perceptions and realworld practices.
Considering the important for environmental conservation, stakeholders have a responsibility towards conservation efforts. The available literature reveals that environmental performance is influenced by eco innovation and various drivers. However, eco innovation still has various measurements and obstacles in its implementation. The purpose of this study is to map eco innovation in environmental economics literature. By mapping 2,389 articles on a globally reputable database, we found 24 main clusters that can be used as guidelines for conducting future research, relevant topics, and authorship collaborations.
Businesses are turning to bio‐based, compostable plastic packaging as a circular economy solution to global plastic pollution. However, there is a lack of proper waste management systems for collection and processing. Through an international research initiative, a social innovation lab was undertaken in Brazil, Canada, Poland and the United Kingdom to understand and address key barriers in closing the bio‐based plastic packaging loop. Based upon a qualitative data set of 100 stakeholder interviews and three phases of workshop activities in each country, a grounded model was generated to illustrate how competing views and actions are inhibiting a circular system for bio‐based plastic packaging. Key issues were the lack of end‐of‐life processing infrastructure, contamination in processing facilities and absent or ineffective regulation. A systemic approach that includes shared responsibility for infrastructure, simplified packaging design and materials and equitable regulation to reduce susceptibility to greenwashing can improve collaboration to meet circular goals.
Businesses are under pressure to embrace innovation for their survival, efficiency, and environmental performance, and to gain a competitive edge due to the shifting ecological environment and growing awareness of sustainability and waste management challenges. An increasing number of businesses are eager to implement an eco-innovation strategy to demonstrate their commitment to environmental protection and waste avoidance. As a result, packaging has an impact on society and the environment globally while also providing possibilities. Additional empirical study is needed to investigate the aspects that contribute to the effectiveness of environmentally friendly packaging innovation. The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the eco-innovation of the packaging industry and comprehend how technological capabilities, organizational capabilities, managerial knowledge of the environment, and human capabilities all play a role in the successful application of ecological design innovation in packaging and its effects on avoiding waste and brand.
Increasing environmental burdens and the importance of innovation in the presently competitive environment have encouraged small- and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) to adopt and implement green innovation practices. This process, however, is faced with many limitations and obstacles. The purpose of this study is to propose a framework to identify barriers to green innovation in SMEs and to provide solutions/strategies to overcome such barriers. Using the systematic literature review (SLR) method and the opinions of 20 experts, the study primarily identified 29 sub-categories of barriers falling under seven main categories including “management”, “organization”, “human resources”, “financial resources”, “external cooperation”, “customers, markets or competitors”, and “the external environment.” Similarly, 22 strategies were discovered that could help to counteract the barriers identified. To determine the weights of the barriers, the Intuitionistic Fuzzy Multiplicative Best-Worst Method (IFMBWM) was used. The strategies, too, were ranked through the Interval-Valued Intuitionistic Fuzzy MULTIMOORA (IVIF-MULTIMOORA) method. Then, a sensitivity analysis and a comparative analysis were applied to confirm the robustness of the proposed method and ensure the consistency of the obtained ranking of alternatives. As the results revealed, the optimal and effective solutions that could be used by policy-makers/managers to overcome the barriers to green innovation were “simplifying authorization and licensing procedures”, “effective environmental laws and regulations”, “shared responsibility throughout the supply chain”, “a supportive organizational culture”, and “merit-based selection of managers.”
Organic farming has emerged as a critical approach in promoting sustainable
development and addressing the environmental, economic, and social challenges
faced by the agricultural sector. With a focus on biodiversity conservation, soil health improvement, and reduced chemical inputs, organic farming embodies a
holistic and ecologically friendly approach to food production. Organic farming plays a vital role in sustainable development by protecting the environment, improving soil health, mitigating climate change, enhancing human health, creating economic opportunities, and contributing to food security and resilience. Its holistic and ecologically friendly approach makes it an essential component of strategies aimed at achieving a sustainable future for both agricultural systems and the
broader society. Organic farming represents a fundamental shift towards a more sustainable and ecologically responsible approach to agriculture. By prioritizing biodiversity conservation, soil health improvement, and reduced chemical inputs, organic farming offers a promising pathway towards achieving sustainable
development goals. The book includes the idea of different academicians, researchers, and policymakers to deliberate on this theme of utmost importance and suggest appropriate policy solutions
El presente documento busca evidenciar la relevancia de la innovación como un proceso colectivo, apoyado en el esfuerzo de múltiples actores – públicos, privados y de la sociedad civil organizada – en la construcción de un futuro sostenible. Es decir, se analiza a la innovación con una mirada hacia la construcción de un futuro sostenible, en base a una responsabilidad compartida, y que implica la ampliación de los mecanismos de gobernanza, con una mirada inclusiva, que respete y valore a las dimensiones ambiental, social y económica. Por tanto, argumentamos que pensar en avances del conocimiento en ese tema, implica reconocer la relevancia de la diversidad de perspectivas y la toma de decisiones y acciones conjuntas, además de reconocer a los factores que facilitan o limitan la innovación sostenible. En ese sentido, este número especial de la revista GECONTEC presenta cuatro papers seleccionados del Congreso de la Asociación Latino-Iberoamericana de Gestión Tecnológica y de la Innovación -ALTEC 2021, cuyas evidencias corroboran lo que aquí planteamos.
Food waste is one of the challenging issues humans are facing. A third of the food produced in the world is wasted at various points along the food supply chain. Food waste can be reduced by developing technology that can be utilized in different parts of the food value chain and through education programs that focus on consumers' behavior on healthy lifestyles and sustainable consumption. This article examines the problem of food waste and provides insights into the approaches to food waste management. Different techniques, such as education-based or structure-based, are used to encourage food waste prevention and management. Therefore, highlighting the current development in food waste management becomes important. The paper uses a systematic review that supports screening of the literature to answer the research questions and find the research gaps. According to the findings, food is either thrown out during the supply chain or even at the last stages of preparation and consumption. The review shows that the current food waste management treatment methods may be effective, but they do not provide an environmentally sustainable solution for food waste management. Therefore, the proposed article deeply investigated food waste prevention and social innovations to reduce food waste. This review complements the previous reviews by adding social and economic innovation focus on food waste management. The article recommends a course of action for future food waste management research.
Eco-innovations have become an essential component to attain sustainability in the supply chain. However, the process of transition from the traditional supply chain to an eco-innovative focused supply chain is faced with several challenges especially in the developing nations. Hence, this study is undertaken to evaluate the eco-innovation implementation barriers in the supply chain. A plithogenic-based neutrosophic analytic hierarchy process is used to determine the weight intensity of the barriers. Findings of the study indicate that lack of internal funds necessary to meet the extra cost and research and development cost are the major barrier in the adoption of eco-innovation initiatives. The other important barriers hindering the adoption of eco-innovation initiatives include the absence of complementary assets (such as infrastructure, standards), lack of collaboration agreements with other organisations, and high costs involved in the transition to new technologies. A manufacturing case industry is selected to apply the proposed framework. This study will help the industry experts/policy-makers to understand the important barriers hindering the adoption of eco-innovation initiatives.
Context: The increasing social awareness of environmental problems is demanding the industry to enforce sustainable strategies, including moving towards a Circular Economy. In order to apply this circularity to supply chains, Reverse Logistics is needed. It describes the process that manages the flow of unusable materials from the customer to the remanufacturing point. Notwithstanding its economic and environmen- tal opportunities, industries are still struggling with its implementation.
Objective: The aim of this work is to analyse the difficulties and potentials of Reverse Logistics, focusing on technical aspects. Through the evaluation of identification sys- tems and modern trends, it seeks to overcome the challenges faced by the industry.
Method: The results are obtained through a literature research on both founding and more recent contributions concerning Reverse Logistics.
Results: Due to the uncertainties concerning quality, quantity, the time of returning products, and the costs linked to the implementation of a Reverse Logistics network, it is challenging for companies to motivate the investment in this solution. In addition, missing support from legislations and a lack of knowledge about the topic add to this difficulty. Nevertheless, through the appropriate use of identification systems and new technologies, it is possible to effectively use returned items and save costs on produc- tion processes. The implementation of Reverse Logistics would allow to decrease waste production and thus landfill, reduce emissions and maximise utility of natural resources.
Conclusion: Possible solutions to overcome the challenges of Reverse Logistics can be achieved through the implementation of the appropriate Identification systems and a further development of technologies such as IoT, Blockchain, and AI. In order to encourage industries to introduce Reverse Logistics, a stronger political and techno- logical contribution is needed.
Keywords: Reverse Logistics, Closed Loop Supply Chain, Auto-ID, RFID, SRSC
Purpose
Packaging links products to consumers by delivering messages to promote healthy food consumption and reduce wastage. However, studies point to a knowledge gap and skepticism among consumers regarding the impact of eco-design packaging on food wastage reduction. To demystify this skepticism and fill the knowledge gap, this study aims to examine consumers’ perceived risks in eco-design packaging and their impact on consumer food wastage.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey was conducted to identify consumer-perceived risks in eco-design packaging and explain whether, and why, some dimensions of perceived risk are more influential on consumer food wastage decisions.
Findings
Consumers are prevented by financial, physical, functional, temporal and social factors from adopting eco-design packaging. Through structural equation modeling, we find consumer perceived risks in eco-design packaging influence their food wastage decisions through health consciousness and environmental awareness.
Practical implications
This study provides practical suggestions for packaging manufacturers, the food industry and policymakers.
Originality/value
Drawing on the perceived risk theory, this research highlights that the impacts of consumer-perceived risks differ, depending on the dimensions considered in their food wastage decision.
Using biomass to produce materials is an alternative possibility to its disposal for energy production or to its composting. This can provide more value, also in economic terms, especially in presence of large amounts of biomass available due to massive agricultural production systems, so that the exploitation of secondary raw materials might become of stringent interest. Food packaging is increasingly in search for more sustainable materials, able to be effective in terms of communication and preservation of their content, a sector in which the possible use of secondary raw material is becoming a plus. In a number of cases, the use of lignin, cellulose or oil-based seeds has been proposed for the purpose. This chapter presents the difficulties in performing life cycle analysis (LCA) studies that would allow evaluating and comparing use of food packaging obtained from biomass with conventional one obtained from oil-derived plastics. This means concentrating for a start on establishing reasonable system boundaries that would enable this comparison, especially as regards the origin of biomass employed as secondary raw material.
The growth in the polymer use has been achieved through the developments and improvements of processes allowing their conversion to useful products. Indeed, it exist various plastics processing techniques allowing the three dimensional control over the shape of the manufactured product, but injection molding process remain the most common and widely used operations. Considerable effort has been expended to obtain an understanding of the interactions between the injection process variables and the operating conditions. So, this chapter discusses the important injection molding variables and efforts to control them and thus the used models in each injection phase to carry out the control studies. At the end, some thermal and mechanical models to predict the final biopolymers and bio-composites properties are presented.
Recently, the research and development of novel antimicrobial food packaging paper have been accrued a considerable attention due to their ultimate advantages namely contain food in a cost-effective way that satisfies industry requirements and consumer desires, maintains food safety, and minimizes environmental impact also to increase the shelf life of foodstuff. These unique food packaging papers can be prepared through different materials such as synthetic polymers, nature or bio-polymers owing to their numerous properties. Therefore, in order to enhance the biological properties particularly the antimicrobial activity against the most pathogenic bacteria and biodegradability of the packaging material, the polymeric matrix can be reinforced with different fillers mainly biofiber, clay and agriculture biomass. Herein, this chapter book reviews the different classes of food packaging paper and their roles, manufacturing, applications and also the effects of antimicrobial agents on the final properties of packaging papers. The major aim of this review was to highlight the effect of several antibacterial agents on final mechanical and biological properties of biomass- based composites and nanocomposites materials. This chapter is divided into three parts, the first one is dedicated to the classifications and roles of food packaging systems, the second part is devoted to the manufacturing of packaging paper based on agriculture biomass, the third part concern the applications of these materials and the side effect of the antibacterial agents on their properties. From the results obtained in this research work, we can conclude that the agricultural biomass can be used to manufacture food packaging by several techniques mostly pulp manufacturing processes. Also, the mechanical and antibacterial properties of these materials can enhanced by the addition of divers antibacterial agents.
The objective of this chapter is to highlight the food packaging requirement and their evaluation to meet the demands of safer and shelf life enhancing packaging's and coatings. Food packaging aims to make food handling convenient and improve the shelf life of food, which is a significant requirement for safer transportation and storage of food. With the growing pace of technology new packaging materials with improved benefits have emerged. Numerous packaging materials have been used in the past like packages and containers made of aluminum, tin, paper, plastics etc., serving the purpose efficiently however their weight and disposal remains the issue. Most of these materials being non-biodegradable and are threat to environment. Thus, this chapter aims at discussing the biodegradable packaging's and coatings. It presents the information about the types of coating material and also the applications including effects of coatings, their biodegradability, measurement of their safety and regulations on these coatings. The techniques for application of these coatings are also explained briefly. Thus, it revealed that the coating is a remarkable technology for packaging food, it not only reduces weight but also is biodegradable, safer and improves shelf life significantly.
The majority of developing countries are facing enormous challenges in implementing sustainable waste electrical and electronic equipment (e-waste) management systems. Informal e-waste management practices in Ghana have become a critical challenge to the government and the various stakeholders owing to its environmental and health impacts. However, the effort to implement e-waste formalization management practices has been threatened with many barriers. This study aims to identify and evaluate barriers and pathways to the implementation of e-waste formalization management systems in Ghana. A three-phase methodology consisting of the Delphi method, the hybrid best–worst method and the fuzzy TOPSIS technique is employed. The first phase involves extensive literature review and the use of the Delphi method to identify barriers, pathways, and data collection for e-waste formalization. In the second phase, the best–worst method was employed to analyze the relative weight and ranking of the barriers. The third phase involves the application of fuzzy TOPSIS to rank and prioritize pathways to e-waste formalization systems. Fuzzy logic was applied to handle the subjectivity of decision-makers’ preferences. A sensitivity analysis was carried out to check the robustness of the framework and address any effect of bias. The outcome of the study indicates that economic and financial limitations are the most significant barriers to e-waste formalization. “Setting up resourced environmental government agencies for effective monitoring and auditing at the regional levels for appropriate e-waste management practices” is the most prominent pathway. The present study can potentially inform policy makers to develop systematic and strategic policies for the implementation of e-waste formalization management systems.
The current public and private policies pursuing environmental sustainability targets mandate incisive management of packaging waste, starting with those sectors that use virgin materials most. Food industries and food supply chains adopt huge volumes of plastic crates, cardboard boxes, and wooden boxes as transport packaging, thereby representing a hotspot and an urgent call for scholars and practitioners to address. Whilst wooden and cardboard boxes are disposable solutions, plastic containers can be employed as infinitely reusable and recyclable packages but require complex logistic systems to manage their life cycle. Optimization techniques can be exploited to aid the design and profitability of such complex packaging networks. This paper falls within the scarce literature on the design of pooling networks for reusable containers in the food industry. It proposes a strategic mixed-integer linear programming model to design a closed-loop system from the perspective of the packaging maker responsible for serving a food supply chain. The container's lifespan, i.e. the number of cycles a package can be reused before recycling, represents a crucial aspect to consider when modeling such networks. Incorporating lifespan constraints within the proposed closed-loop network design model is the main novel contribution we provide to the literature. This model is applied to a real-world instance of an Italian package pooler operating with a consortium of large-scale retailers for the distribution of fruits, vegetables, bakery, and meat products. A multi-scenario what-if analysis showcases how the optimal network evolves according to potential variations in the packaging demand, as well as in the container lifespan, demonstrating how to lead packaging makers to the profitability and the long-term sustainability of the closed-loop network.
Background:
Industrial estates are one of the major centers of producing energy and industrial waste in the country.One of the important points of establishing industrial units in industrial towns and areas is to pay attention to industrial ecology; rotating economic policies with industrial ecological approach should be formed in industrial towns and the limitation of vital resources should never be neglected. The industry should be used as another industry input. Given that this trend and approach does not exist in Iran, this study seeks to investigate and analyze the factors influencing the launch of the industrial ecology perspective in Iran. Developing Industrial Ecology (IE) faces significant obstacles. However, the aim of this study is to evaluate the barriers due to a combination model, including DPSIR and Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP). To prioritize the responses (alternatives) regards to the driving forces, pressures, states, and impacts (criteria), the hierarchy of the model are established. In this research, for the purpose of identifying and prioritizing effective factors and analyzing research results, the opinions of 44 experts in the field of waste and environment, industrial engineering and industrial process were used.
Result:
In the first step of the results, based on the experts' point of view and study background and the experience of the last ten years of the world's leading countries, the general framework proposed by DPSIR for IE was presented. For the comparison of two fuzzy numbers, a novel division methods using concept was used. Due to the field studies, 18 criteria and four responses are suggested. Each of the main axes of the DPSIR model was carefully analyzed and in 4 radar diagrams, the analysis of each factor was presented. The first factor (R2) Improve IE law, with Final Weight (FW) 0.251, was selected as the first priority in the IE development model in Iran. Subsequent factors, in order of final weight, included (R3) Establish IE national database (0.246), (R4) Modify industries clustering (0.249) and (R1) Industries training (0.225).
Conclusion:
Industrial ecology in Iran has been failed to notices so far. The results males it crystal clear that the concepts of industrial ecology have not been implemented in Iran’s industrial estates. Based on the results of the analysis and the explanations provided, the proposed action plans for developing the industrial ecology model of Iran. This action provides a legal guarantee for the development of industrial ecology. Therefore, it can be said that the proposed route is the most reliable way to succeed based on current local and regional conditions in Iran.
Food waste is one of the main issues for international organisms. It is not only an ethical and economic issue but it also depletes the environment of limited natural resources. Among strategies suitable for fighting such challenge, intelligent packaging is an interesting tool to reduce waste derived from households and retailers. A revision of 45 recent advances in the area of optical systems for freshness monitoring is reported herein. The study covers fruits, vegetables, fish products and meat since they are the most representative fields of application. Furthermore, a discussion about the main research challenges and opportunities that will be faced by intelligent packaging in the coming years is included.
CRISTINA SANTINI, ALESSIO CAVICCHI, AND LEONARDO CASINI 1.1 INTRODUCTION The wine industry is definitely engaged in sustainability. The emerging interest in sustainability is confirmed by a growing body of academic literature as well as by the rise of new academic journals and scientific communities. Also, the industry has shown an involvement in sustainability in general; people in the wine industry wonder about the effectiveness of sustainable practices and under what conditions it pays to be oriented towards sustainability. Talking about sustainability opens up a multitude of research issues, especially in wine, where being sustainable is often misunderstood with being organic or biodynamic. This paper investigates background research on sustainability in wine; it outlines what are the main challenges that scholars must face when they deal with this research issue. After having provided a description of research trends, the paper will highlight the determinants of a firm’s orientation towards sustainability and the role that research has in promoting sustainability.
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Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is one response to the challenges faced by agriculture due to climate change. As with other sustainability transitions, technological innovation is highlighted as playing a critical role, however, the adoption and diffusion of technological innovations in OECD countries is slow. The aim of this paper is to identify key socio-economic barriers, in terms of supply and demand, that inhibit the adoption and diffusion of CSA technological innovations in Europe. To achieve this aim, a theoretical framework is constructed based on a literature review of socio-economic barriers effecting adoption and diffusion. This framework is explored with data from semi-structured interviews with CSA technology providers and members of agricultural supply chains, such as farmers associations and consumer goods producers (the end-users of the technology). Data was collected on the barriers they experienced, with interviews conducted in the Netherlands, France, Switzerland and Italy. This data was thematically coded and categorised to identify key barrier typologies. The results demonstrate that barriers exist on both the demand (user) and supply (technology provider) sides. The paper provides recommendations for increasing the adoption and diffusion of CSA technological innovations, as well as implications for the CSA and innovation literature..
Sustainability is playing a key role in the wine industry as shown by the attention paid at several levels by the academia, institutions and associations. Nevertheless, the principle itself of sustainability opens a wide debate and it significantly affects firms in all their activities. Using a systematic literature review, this paper wants to highlight some of the questions that academics must face when they approach the issue of sustainability with a specific focus on the wine industry. In particular the paper aims to: highlight where research is going and what has already been done; define the contribution of background research in explaining the determinants of sustainable orientation in the wine industry; and understand the role of research (and academics' social responsibility) for the diffusion of a sustainable orientation within the wine industry. The purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed overview of the main research contributions to the issue of sustainability in the wine industry.
As the world gears up for the Rio + 20 conference in June 2012, many are pinning hopes on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a concrete outcome. Yet there is little clarity on what SDGs should involve, who should set them, and how they can be realized in practice. This commentary article draws on recent research by the STEPS Centre, the Stockholm Resilience Centre, and Tellus Institute to argue that Sustainable Development Goals that keep human societies within a “safe operating space” are now urgently needed. However, delivering on these requires a radically new approach to innovation that gives far greater recognition and power to grassroots actors and processes, involving them within an inclusive, multiscale innovation politics.
Food production significantly contributes to consumption of resources and presents remarkable environmental impacts to be evaluated through a life cycle approach. The present paper aims to present and discuss the results of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) performed on 13 tomato based products (tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and peeled tomatoes in tomato juice) produced in Italy by a Group representing one of largest agri-food industry European companies. The environmental hotspots of the whole supply chains of the investigated products have been identified and technical and managerial solutions have been defined. Agricultural phase and packaging production resulted to be the life-cycle stages with the highest impact in all the considered categories. The identified improvement options related to packaging subsystem are the reduction of weight and the switch to different packaging materials. Other improvement options can be adopted in the cultivation phase, such as use of organic fertilizers or inorganic fertilizers with lower nitrogen and phosphorus content, crop rotation and use of efficient irrigation systems.
The application of LCA methodology to tomato product systems has highlighted some methodological issues that will be taken into account during the CPC 2132 and CPC 2139 Product Category Rules (PCR) development in the framework of the International EPD® System.
Environmental innovations are frequently developed for use in agriculture, but their uptake and continued use is often patchy. In contrast to commercial innovations, environmental innovations often bring social benefits but provide limited commercial benefits. Businesses are unlikely to adopt and continue using environmental innovations that provide little commercial benefit unless targeted policies promote or require their uptake. The weak uptake of environmental innovations in the Waipara wine industry provides support for these contentions. The Greening Waipara Project developed and introduced seven ecologically and sustainably focused practices to the region's vineyards and wineries. However, adoption of the environmental innovations was, with one exception, relatively low. The costs associated with the innovations tend to outweigh the benefits gained by businesses. There are poor prospects for the adoption of such innovations.
Food production needs to increase by 70%, mostly through yield increases, to feed the world in 2050. Increases in productivity achieved in the past are attributed in part to the significant use of fossil fuels. Energy use in agriculture is therefore also expected to rise in the future, further contributing to greenhouse emissions. At the same time, more than two-fifths of the world’s population still depends on unsustainably harvested wood energy for cooking and heating. Both types of energy use have detrimental impacts on the climate and natural resources. Continuing on this path is not an option as it will put additional pressure on the already stressed natural resource base and local livelihoods, while climate change is further reducing the resilience of agro-ecosystems and smallholder farmers. Ecosystem approaches that combine both food and energy production, such as agroforestry or integrated crop–livestock–biogas systems, could substantially mitigate these risks while providing both food and energy to rural and urban populations. Information and understanding on how to change course through the implementation of the practices outlined in this paper are urgently needed. Yet the scientific basis of such integrated systems, which is essential to inform decision-makers and to secure policy support, is still relatively scarce. The author therefore argues that new assessment methodologies based on a systems-oriented analysis are needed for analyzing these complex, multidisciplinary and large-scale phenomena.
The use of post-consumer materials is directly related to reducing the cost of production and extraction of natural resources. Non-recyclable materials are randomly disposed in the environment. Brazil is one of the largest consumers of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles. The purpose of this paper is to describe the opportunities and challenges of the logistics model for post-consumer PET bottle recycling in Brazil, while providing knowledge of its practices along the recycling chain. The results describe the need to educate those directly and indirectly involved in the process; to reduce consumption in order to reduce the amount of waste generated; to structure the post-consumer reverse chain and engage industrial sectors and government, through public policies, to support cleaner technologies along the PET bottle production chain.
In addition to the traditionally investigated profit-drivers of retail adoption, such as gross margin, trade support, consumer marketing support, and product uniqueness, the authors investigate to what extent relatively under-investigated variables, such as relationship variables and category variables, are potential antecedents of retailers’ new product adoption decisions. Based on a sample of 392 new product adoption decisions by buyers of a Dutch food retailer, the authors provide evidence that both relationship and category variables do matter in new product adoption decisions by retailers. They show a significant negative effect of relationship dependence, and a significant positive effect of relationship length on a retailer's new product adoption probability. Furthermore, the authors show that higher levels of expected category growth due to the new product introduction are associated with higher levels of retailer adoption probability. Finally, in contrast with all previous retail adoption studies, this study shows a significant, positive relation between the relative gross margin of the new product and the retailer adoption probability.
Purpose
This paper extends the concept of market orientation from the firm to the value chain level and seeks to develop empirically founded propositions on determinants of different levels of market orientation of value chains.
Design/methodology/approach
Four case studies on value chains within the areas of agribusiness and fisheries are conducted. For each value chain, desk research is combined with interviews with decision‐makers of all types of value chain members. Interview guidelines were derived from a conceptual model of potential determinants of value chain market orientation.
Findings
Degree of market orientation of value chains is found to be related to degree of heterogeneity and dynamism of end‐users served, nature of chain relationships, regulations and prevailing mental models of decision‐makers. Short and balanced chains are believed to further upstream market orientation.
Research limitations/implications
The results point at two areas, where additional research on market orientation is called for: a better conceptualization of market intelligence and theorizing on most cost effective ways of being market oriented, including implications for the distribution of market oriented activities among value chain members.
Practical implications
The paper underlines the importance of managing channel relationships, up to and including vertical integration, when serving markets with high degrees of end‐user volatility.
Originality/value
This paper is the first empirical contribution to the market orientation literature employing a perspective encompassing the whole value chain.
Environmental effects of economic activities are ultimately driven by consumption, via impacts of the production, use, and waste management phases of products and services ultimately consumed. Integrated product policy (IPP) addressing the life-cycle impacts of products forms an innovative new generation of environmental policy. Yet this policy requires insight into the final consumption expenditures and related products that have the greatest life-cycle environmental impacts. This review article brings together the conclusions of 11 studies that analyze the life-cycle impacts of total societal consumption and the relative importance of different final consumption categories. This review addresses in general studies that were included in the project Environmental Impacts of Products (EIPRO) of the European Union (EU), which form the basis of this special issue. Unlike most studies done in the past 25 years on similar topics, the studies reviewed here covered a broad set of environmental impacts beyond just energy use or carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The studies differed greatly in basic approach (extrapolating LCA data to impacts of consumption categories versus approaches based on environmentally extended input-output (EEIO) tables), geographical region, disaggregation of final demand, data inventory used, and method of impact assessment. Nevertheless, across all studies a limited number of priorities emerged. The three main priorities, housing, transport, and food, are responsible for 70% of the environmental impacts in most categories, although covering only 55% of the final expenditure in the 25 countries that currently make up the EU. At a more detailed level, priorities are car and most probably air travel within transport, meat and dairy within food, and building structures, heating, and (electrical) energy-using products within housing. Expenditures on clothing, communication, health care, and education are considerably less important. Given the very different approaches followed in each of the sources reviewed, this result hence must be regarded as extremely robust. Recommendations are given to harmonize and improve the methodological approaches of such analyses, for instance, with regard to modeling of imports, inclusion of capital goods, and making an explicit distinction between household and government expenditure.
Adoption of modern technologies in agriculture is crucial for improving productivity and welfare of poor farmers in developing countries. Not much is known about how value chains do (not) affect technology transfer and/or adoption in food chains in developing countries. We analyze farm-level technology adoption in the dairy chain in India, using unique survey data. The dairy chain in India is an important case because the Indian government has promoted development of the dairy sector for its potential for 'pro-poor' growth, and because value chain initiatives had strong effects on dairy farm technology in other countries with imperfect markets and growth in demand. We find that despite rapid growth in milk consumption and production, technology adoption in the form of better hygienic practices, better feed and improved livestock was mixed, and low for certain regions and technologies. So far, the role of value chains in the adoption of new technologies seems to be minor.
Building on theories of cue utilization, this paper investigates whether and how packaging sustainability influences consumer perceptions, inferences and attitudes towards packaged products. A framework is tested in an empirical study among 249 students using soup products varying in packaging material and graphics. The findings show that (packaging) sustainability is a highly salient association but is only moderately important for consumer attitudes. A comparison between consumer judgments and life-cycle assessment indicates that consumers rely on misleading, inaccurate lay beliefs to judge packaging sustainability and are therefore susceptible to making ineffective environmental decisions. The research also demonstrates the power of packaging in shaping perceptions of food products. Particularly, it shows that changes in actual environmental impacts (by altering packaging materials) affect not only sustainability perceptions but also several other benefits, such as perceived taste and quality. At the same time, consumers' sustainability assessments are also highly influenced by mere graphical packaging cues that have no obvious actual sustainability consequences.
- This paper describes the process of inducting theory using case studies from specifying the research questions to reaching closure. Some features of the process, such as problem definition and construct validation, are similar to hypothesis-testing research. Others, such as within-case analysis and replication logic, are unique to the inductive, case-oriented process. Overall, the process described here is highly iterative and tightly linked to data. This research approach is especially appropriate in new topic areas. The resultant theory is often novel, testable, and empirically valid. Finally, framebreaking insights, the tests of good theory (e.g., parsimony, logical coherence), and convincing grounding in the evidence are the key criteria for evaluating this type of research.
This study deepens our knowledge of organisational routines and activities in the innovation process of low- and medium-technology (LMT) industries. To accomplish this, it explores how the innovation process in the packaged foods sector of the UK food industry depends on a learning- by-doing, by using and by interacting (DUI) mode of innovation including activities such as technology adaptation and the use of external firm sources. The empirical analysis is based on four case studies of new product innovation taken from a cross section of the packaged foods sector. Our findings support the view that LMT industries rely on non- formal Research and Development (R&D) activities such as firm interaction and shared experiences. We develop a set of propositions which help to explore evidence in practice of how these external sources influence the innovation process. Our research contributes to theory in the areas of innovation processes in low- and medium-technology (LMT) industries and DUI industrial modes of innovation.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role that retailers play in innovation in the food sector.
Design/methodology/approach
– Analysis is based on interviews with retailers and food suppliers from Belgium, Denmark and the UK.
Findings
– The findings show that in different ways retailers act both as caretakers of consumer interests and as barriers to innovation. Retailers are not interested in new technologies per se, but whether new technologies and the products made using them provide clearly identifiable benefits to consumers. These products must carry minimum risk for the retailer and there is a clear need for benefits to be communicated in commercial rather than technological terms to both retailers and consumers.
Research limitations/implications
– The main limitation is that the study is based on interviews with retailers and suppliers in three countries.
Practical implications
– Food suppliers developing new products based on novel technologies need to identity and communicate clear benefits to consumers if their products are to be adopted by grocery retailers.
Originality/value
– This paper extends the understanding of the important role that retailers play in the diffusion of new innovative food products, services and technologies to consumers.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to analyse how internal and external factors can influence on the adoption of eco-innovation by food companies. Although innovation and sustainability are relevant concepts, they are not being considered together in the literature. Hereof, eco-innovation encloses both approaches.
Design/methodology/approach
– A survey with 581 Brazilian companies was conducted. The structure of influential internal and external factors was analysed by an exploratory factor analysis, and the relations between groups of variables identified in the study were verified through regression analysis. Environmental capability, environmental managerial concern and human resources were internal factors investigated in this study, and regulatory and normative pressures, cooperation and government support were the external factors.
Findings
– Human resources was the most important internal factor, followed by environmental managerial concern and environmental capability. Collaboration was the most important external factor, followed by normative pressures and environmental regulations, while government support was seen as deficient. Companies stated that these factors were important to adopt environmental practices and increase performance.
Practical implications
– Understanding why food companies adopt eco-innovation will help policy makers to develop specific actions to promote eco-innovations. For managers, it can be a relevant tool to identify which factors to invest, if the company is eco-strategizing. Hiring committed staff, top management green consciousness and collaboration with key stakeholders can boost sustainability.
Originality/value
– This study brings an innovative approach with robust theoretical support in a comprehensive conceptual model, gathering and investigating all relevant internal and external factors in the literature. Those factors are used in an integrated way in the final model for the empirical investigation, while the literature generally emphasizes only external factors.
Packaging has great potential to contribute to sustainable development through its functions. Previous research has indicated a need for increased knowledge among consumers, suppliers, authorities and media of how packaging functions and features influence sustainable development. Previous research also shows the need for a common terminology of packaging functions and features in order to facilitate and improve communication and understanding in development and decision processes.
This conceptual paper sets out to identify, collect, analyse and systemize packaging functions and features and evaluate them based on their indirect contributions to sustainable development. The systemized functions and features are expressed in generic terminology. Three clusters of packaging functions were identified from the literature: protect, facilitate handling and communicate. Nineteen packaging features were also identified. They were grouped under the three functions and elaborated based on their indirect contributions to the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development. Fourteen potential positive indirect effects were identified including decreased product waste, reduced risk for human health hazards, increased handling and transport efficiency. Decreased product waste was generated by 13 of the features and was thus the most frequently appearing. Reducing waste is thereby indicated to be a manifold matter, but also one of great potential.
The proposed terminology can contribute to an increased understanding of how packaging can actually contribute to sustainable development. In a theoretical context, this paper attempts to complement earlier work in sustainable packaging development by its emphasis on the indirect contributions of packaging to sustainable development.
This paper uses grounded theory to develop and deepen our understanding of eco-innovation. It presents, through a series of four propositions, a three-stage supply network typology to help scholars and managers consider how best to develop these innovations. This typology was constructed by reviewing existing sustainability frameworks that argued that innovation was a key factor in sustainability. Moreover we found little consideration given on how to discover and develop eco-innovations. The literature proposes that a firm with strong ties with a few strategic suppliers will benefit from the knowledge and technology that spills over from suppliers to the firm during the new product development process. In contrast, the network literature explains that the creation of multiple weak ties to non-strategic suppliers may increase opportunities for identifying innovation. The network literature further suggests a third and potentially more promising route: building weak ties to suppliers that bridge ‘structural holes’ in the network. We suggest that strong ties with strategic suppliers will lead to the development of incremental eco-innovations while weak ties with multiple suppliers and with suppliers that bridge structural holes will tend to lead to radical eco-innovations. Finally, we suggest that once eco-innovations are developed they should be embedded in the operational processes of other suppliers to increase the sustainability performance of the focal firm.
Food loss at the retail and consumer levels in the United States includes 14.8 billion pounds of fruit and 23.4 billion pounds of vegetables, valued at 27.7 billion, respectively, in 2008 retail market prices. The total value of these losses is 141 per capita. To most efficiently reduce the annual food loss, it may be beneficial to focus efforts on the four fruits (fresh apples, grapes, peaches and strawberries) and four vegetables (fresh and canned tomatoes and fresh and frozen potatoes) that have the greatest amount of loss.
Attempting to move away from commodity‐based products into higher value added ones remains one of the key challenges for research and development (R&D) managers. This paper focuses on developing an understanding of these challenges in the UK packaging industry. The research presents evidence from the case of a single firm, within this process industry, that produces commodity products. The paper contributes to Lager's product degradation–upgrade cycle, which illustrates how functional products degrade into commodities unless product functionalities are continually improved. We characterise the ‘upgrade’ aspect within this model. The paper presents the findings of a 3‐year research project with one of the largest packaging manufacturers in Europe. Five barriers are uncovered that hinder firms attempting to increase the level of product differentiation in order to ‘upgrade’.
The Swedish iron and steel industry is focused on the production of advanced steel grades and accounts for about 5% of the country's final energy consumption. Energy efficiency is according to the European Commission a key element for the transition towards a resource-efficient economy. We investigated four aspects that are associated with the adoption of cost-effective energy conservation measures: barriers, drivers, energy management practices and energy services. We used questionnaires and follow-up telephone interviews to collect data from members of the Swedish steel association. The heterogeneous observations implied a classification into steel producers and downstream actors. For testing the significance, the Mann–Whitney U test was used. The most important barriers were internal economic and behavioural barriers. Energy service companies, in particular third-party financing, played a minor role. In contrast, high importance was attached to energy management as the most important drivers originated from within the company. Energy management practices showed that steel companies are actively engaged in the topic, but need to raise its prioritisation and awareness within the organisation. When sound energy management practices are included, the participants assessed the cost-effective energy conservation potential to be 9.7%, which was 2.4% higher than the potential for solely adopting cost-effective technologies.
The paper aims to provide a systematic overview of the drivers and barriers for food retailers to implement corporate supply chain responsibility. The research is based on a literature analysis and semi-structured interviews with food retailers, with primary focus on Swedish conventional supermarket chains. The paper contributes to the existing body of research by providing the food retailers’ own perspective on the factors that trigger addressing sustainability concerns in their supply chain and by providing a taxonomy of drivers and barriers. As a result, a number of additional factors that influence the launch of responsible supply chain practices have been identified. Interestingly some of these factors are beyond the trivial driver-barrier dichotomy. This paper is of interest to food retailers who aim to design sustainable supply chain strategies and justify associated investments, and for policymakers who aim to support retailers in their transition towards sustainable practices. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Global electricity demands are increasing at rapid pace. Energy supply, their usage and technologies involved need to be more economical, environment friendly and socially sustainable. Efforts are being done all over the globe to reduce this greenhouse effect; and renewable energy technologies to combat climate changes, which require extensive changes to the current electricity generation and distribution systems. To meet this goal, it is required to optimize the grid operations and available resources to meet the ever increasing energy demands in an efficient, effective and environment sustainable way. It has been found that smart grid technologies have not been so popular due to some obstacles that are hindering its maturation and rapid deployment. An attempt has been made to identify and analyze the barriers to implement smart grid technologies adoption. Twelve relevant barriers towards implementation of smart grid technologies have been identified from extensive literature review and duly validated with experts׳ (from academia and industry) opinions. Also, valuable experts׳ opinions have been utilized to identify contextual relationships among these important barriers and a hierarchical model has been developed based on Interpretive Structural Modeling methodology. Matrice d׳Impacts Croises-Multipication Applique´ an Classment (MICMAC) analysis has also been used to: classify the barriers based upon dependence and driving power; and validate developed ISM based model. “Lack of Regulatory Framework” barrier has been identified as driver or independent level barrier i.e. most important bottom level barrier hindering adoption of smart grid technologies. The developed structured model will help to understand interrelationships and interdependencies among the identified barriers to implement smart grid technologies. Different solutions for handling these identified barriers have also been suggested in the paper. Organizations involved in power generation and distribution may be benefited by understanding of these barriers, their interactions and suggested mitigation solutions towards effective adoption of smart grid technologies.
The amount of food discarded by UK households is substantial and, to a large extent, avoidable. Furthermore, such food waste has serious environmental consequences. If household food waste reduction initiatives are to be successful they will need to be informed by people's motivations and barriers to minimising household food waste. This paper reports a qualitative study of the thoughts, feelings and experiences of 15 UK household food purchasers, based on semi-structured interviews. Two core categories of motives to minimise household food waste were identified: (1) waste concerns and (2) doing the ‘right’ thing. A third core category illustrated the importance of food management skills in empowering people to keep household food waste to a minimum. Four core categories of barriers to minimising food waste were also identified: (1) a ‘good’ provider identity; (2) minimising inconvenience; (3) lack of priority; and (4) exemption from responsibility. The wish to avoid experiencing negative emotions (such as guilt, frustration, annoyance, embarrassment or regret) underpinned both the motivations and the barriers to minimising food waste. Findings thus reveal potentially conflicting personal goals which may hinder existing food waste reduction attempts.
The global plastics production has increased annually and a substantial part is used for packaging (in Europe 39%). Most plastic packages are discarded after a relatively short service life and the resulting plastic packaging waste is subsequently landfilled, incinerated or recycled. Laws of several European and Asian countries require that plastic packaging waste collected from households has to be sorted, reprocessed, compounded and reused. These recycling schemes typically produce milled goods of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), poly(ethylene) (PE), isotactic poly(propylene) (PP), mixed plastics, and agglomerates from film material. The present study documents the composition and properties of post-consumer polyolefin recyclates originating from both source separation and mechanical recovery from municipal solid refuse waste (MSRW). The overall composition by Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were determined and compared with the sorting results of the sorted fractions prior to the reprocessing into milled goods. This study shows that the collection method for the plastic packaging waste has hardly any influence on the final quality of the recyclate; however, the sorting and reprocessing steps influence the final quality of the recyclate. Although the mechanical properties of recyclate are clearly different than those of virgin polymers, changes to the sorting and reprocessing steps can improve the quality.
This paper describes and examines the schemes established in five EU countries for the recycling of packaging waste. The changes in packaging waste management were mainly implemented since the Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste entered into force. The analysis of the five systems allowed the authors to identify very different approaches to cope with the same problem: meet the recovery and recycling targets imposed by EU law. Packaging waste is a responsibility of the industry. However, local governments are generally in charge of waste management, particularly in countries with Green Dot schemes or similar extended producer responsibility systems. This leads to the need of establishing a system of financial transfers between the industry and the local governments (particularly regarding the extra costs involved with selective collection and sorting). Using the same methodological approach, the authors also compare the costs and benefits of recycling from the perspective of local public authorities for France, Portugal and Romania. Since the purpose of the current paper is to take note of who is paying for the incremental costs of recycling and whether the industry (i.e. the consumer) is paying for the net financial costs of packaging waste management, environmental impacts are not included in the analysis. The work carried out in this paper highlights some aspects that are prone to be improved and raises several questions that will require further research. In the three countries analyzed more closely in this paper the industry is not paying the net financial cost of packaging waste management. In fact, if the savings attained by diverting packaging waste from other treatment (e.g. landfilling) and the public subsidies to the investment on the "recycling system" are not considered, it seems that the industry should increase the financial support to local authorities (by 125% in France, 50% in Portugal and 170% in Romania). However, in France and Portugal the industry is paying local authorities more than just the incremental costs of recycling (full costs of selective collection and sorting minus the avoided costs). To provide a more definitive judgment on the fairness of the systems it will be necessary to assess the cost efficiency of waste management operators (and judge whether operators are claiming costs or eliciting "prices").
Despite gains in agricultural yields, access to food remains a serious challenge in many parts of the world. It is now recognized that improving food security requires a more integrated understanding of food systems and that key under-explored areas of these systems are likely to be crucial in developing effective policy change. In Kenya, institutional changes have occurred to facilitate knowledge integration within the agricultural sector. Drawing on the experiences and understandings of key stakeholders in Kenya, this paper aims to identify and better understand the barriers to knowledge integration for improved agricultural technologies and their adoption. A number of barriers to the flow of knowledge to and from those working to develop new agricultural technologies and farmers are identified. The results of this study suggest a potential link between farmers' levels of community organization and levels of trust with levels of knowledge integration surrounding agricultural technologies and their adoption. The findings suggest that increasing the planning and follow-up of newly introduced agricultural technologies has the potential to encourage interdisciplinary approaches and improve food security outcomes.
The authors revisit Hart’s natural-resource-based view (NRBV) of the firm and summarize progress that has been made in testing elements of that theory and reevaluate the NRBV in light of a number of important developments that have emerged in recent years in both the resource-based view literature and in research on sustainable enterprise. First, the authors consider how the NRBV can both benefit from recent work in dynamic capabilities and can itself inform such work. Second, they review recent research in the areas of clean technology and business at the base of the pyramid and suggest how the NRBV can help inform research on the resources and capabilities needed to enter and succeed in these domains.
This essay discusses the character and significance of strategy process research. Process research in strategic management is paradigmatically diverse and empirically complex. Strategy process research has been narrow in its focus and its undoubted contribution has sometimes been obscured by the lack of explicit discourse about its analytical foundations. The essay draws on a wide range of social science ideas to lay out a set of internally consistent insights and assumptions to guide thinking and empirical inquiry about the analysis of process issues in strategic management. The essay also provides a guide to the eight papers contained in this special issue.
Based on an intensive and inductive study of a Fortune 100 corporation, this article describes how dynamic capabilities that reconfigure division resources - that is, architectural innovation - may operate within multibusiness firms. We suggest envisaging corporate divisions as combinations of capabilities and product - market areas of responsibility (charters) that may be recombined in various ways, highlighting the interplay of economic and social imperatives that motivate such recombinations. We detail the microsociological patterns by which such recombinations occur and then theorize about an organizational form, termed "dynamic community," in which these processes are embedded.
The environmental concern and development issues regarding packaging has for 20 years to a high extent been on packaging when it has become waste. To reduce the environmental impact from the whole food packaging system it is also important to develop the packaging’s ability to reduce food waste. In some cases it may be necessary to increase the environmental impact of packaging in order to reduce food waste. In this paper, the environmental impact of packaging and food losses and the balance between the two has been examined for five different food items. The results show that packaging’s that reduce food waste can be an important tool to reduce the total environmental impact, even if there is an increase in impact from the packaging itself. This is especially true for food items where the environmental impact of the food is high relative the packaging, for example cheese, and for food items with high losses, for example bread. It is important to analyse the risk of increasing food losses when packaging design changes, for example, when the aim is less packaging material, which is the main intention of the packaging and packaging waste directive of the European Union.
The purpose of this article is to contribute to the emerging debate about the use of the case methodology in industrial marketing. We conducted a content analysis of the 145 case studies published in three key journals (Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing and Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing) over a 10-year period (1997–2006). The findings highlight the dominance of case research in qualitative industrial marketing research. They also lead us to distinguish between three different practices that influence perceptions of ‘good’ case research in this scholarly domain: ‘common’ practice, ‘best practice’ and ‘innovative’ practice. Our contribution lies in problematising what ‘good’ case research is, and showing how research practice – not just methodological literature – has a role in generating methodological conventions in a disciplinary field.
Purpose
– This paper offers a preliminary exploration of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues being addressed by the UK's top ten retailers.
Design/methodology/approach
– The paper draws its empirical information from the CSR reports and information posted on the world wide web by the UK's top ten UK country of origin retailers. Four principal headings: namely, Environment; Marketplace; Workplace; and Community, are used to capture, and provide some illustrative examples of, CSR agendas.
Findings
– The findings reveal that each of the top ten retailers has its own approach to CSR and that there are substantial variations in the nature and extent of the reporting process. That said there is some common ground in reporting on a range of environmental issues, on sourcing, on commitment to customers, on employees and on the communities in which the top ten retailers operate. A number of the top ten retailers are employing key performance indicators in an attempt to measure and benchmark their CSR achievements. The underlying message is that the top ten retailers claim that CSR is an integral element of their core business.
Originality/value
– The paper provides an accessible review of CSR agendas being pursued by the UK's top ten retailers and as such will interest academics and students in higher education and practitioners and professionals working in the retail marketplace.
Research has shown that agricultural professionals are one of the major influences on farmer adoption of agricultural innovations. Genetic engineering and organic farming represent two vastly different innovations in agriculture, and both assert to have important sustainability outcomes. This paper presents the views from a telephone survey of agricultural scientists, extension officers and academics in Australia (n=185) on the barriers to further adoption of organic farming and agricultural genetic engineering, as well as exploring where they obtain their information about the two innovations. Many professionals believe that market issues (in terms of small market size and the extent that consumers are willing to pay premiums) will limit the size of farmer adoption of organics in Australia, while on-farm issues (in terms of production difficulties and pest and disease problems) are named as the second largest barrier to further adoption. On the other hand, professionals from the targeted sample, who were more knowledgeable about organic farming, named information needs and lack of government support as the major barrier facing further diffusion of organic farming. In contrast, public attitudes and negative media portrayal are named as the largest barrier facing further adoption of genetic engineering in Australia. The uncertainty surrounding the research into genetic engineering (and the lack of long-term research) is believed to be the second largest barrier facing further diffusion of genetic engineering while market problems are seen as the third largest barrier.
The overall goal of this study was to evaluate the environmental performance of the process currently used to package and palletize ceramic floor and wall tiles, and to propose and analyse improvements from an environmental point of view. After developing a life cycle inventory of the primary and tertiary packaging, the life cycle assessment was applied according to mandatory and optional elements of ISO 14042. The results are presented in three parts: the first quantifies the environmental behaviour of the current packaging system, the second examines strategies focused on minimizing the environmental burdens of such critical elements, and the third quantifies the environmental improvements, compared with the initial situation, that are obtained with the application of each improvement. The simultaneous incorporation of all the proposed improvements into the packaging system can reduce impact within the 18–45% range, depending on the impact method that is applied. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
This report examines the relevance gap in management research. Its focus is the nature of knowledge created by research at the interface between business and academia in the context of major changes likely to affect the nature of demand for such knowledge. Management research has been accused of a lack of relevance to managerial practice and of too narrow a discipline base. The report examines the conditions giving rise to this criticism, in the UK and elsewhere, and identifies an important strategic need to increase the stakeholding of users in various aspects of the research and knowledge creation and dissemination process. The report concludes with recommendations concerning new forms of research partnership and research training that will address the relevance gap. However, bridging this gap does not only require changes in the academic mind-set. Managers and firms too need to rethink their involvement in the research process.
Technological change has a relevant role to play in the transition towards a sustainable industry. However, slow diffusion of clean technologies can be observed in OECD countries. The analysis of the determinants and barriers to clean technology adoption should be a main goal of economists and social scientists. This paper shows that three sets of interrelated factors prevent but also stimulate the widespread adoption and diffusion of clean technology: these are factors external and internal to the firm, conditions of the potential adopters and characteristics of the environmental technology. These factors are included in the so-called ‘triangular model’, which is further applied to the analysis of clean technology adoption in the pulp and paper industry in Spain. The empirical study shows that clean technology adoption decisions are the result of an interaction between these factors, often involving contradictory signals for the potential adopter. The paper closes with some public policy recommendations for the effective and efficient promotion of clean technology diffusion. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
a b s t r a c t Climate has obvious direct effects on agricultural production. The reverse is more apparent than ever as greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture are tallied. The development and effective diffusion of new agricultural practices and technologies will largely shape how and how well farmers mitigate and adapt to climate change. This adaptation and mitigation potential is nowhere more pronounced than in devel-oping countries where agricultural productivity remains low; poverty, vulnerability and food insecurity remain high; and the direct effects of climate change are expected to be especially harsh. Creating the necessary agricultural technologies and harnessing them to enable developing countries to adapt their agricultural systems to changing climate will require innovations in policy and institutions as well. Potential constraints to innovation involve both the private and public sectors in both developing and developed countries. The process of transferring agricultural innovations across agroecological and cli-matic zones is often subject to agronomic constraints. Often, the most binding constraints occur at the adoption stage, with several factors that potentially impede poor farmers' access to and use of new tech-nologies. Based on discussions of these constraints, we derive six policy principles and use these princi-ples to suggest several specific investments and policy priorities.