Principles and tools of cleaner production: an exploratory study in brazilian companies

The present study aims to evaluate the principles and tools of cleaner production used by Brazilian companies and, specifically, understand how these principles are grouped and organized by organizations in order to make them more effective. An exploratory survey of organizations associated with the Ethos Institute was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis were used to analyze the data, consolidating six sets of explanatory factors. Descriptive statistics indicated that over 68% of the Brazilian firms surveyed have adopted the planning and control of production with environmental education focusing on the analysis of the intensity of material to reduce emissions and waste production, besides the replacement of traditional inputs by ecological ones in order to develop environmentally friendly products. However, the adoption of these principles required investment in research and innovation and training in environmental education, generating increased operating costs. On the other hand, the principles less commonly used by companies explain the lack of knowledge on standards of environmental labeling (13%), AA1000 for inclusiveness of stakeholders in operational decisions (25%), and Eco-Management and Audit System (28%). The principles were grouped into six factors by company, as follows: (i) the adoption of cleaner production and industrial ecology and environmental management system based on ISO 14001, aiming to develop projects for the environment in the product, production process, and logistics networks; (ii) co-creation with customers in the development of environmentally friendly products with a focus on reverse logistics for remanufacturing; (iii) the adoption of planning and control of environmental production favored investment in research and innovation aiming to reduce external environmental risks; (iv) co-creation with suppliers to develop environmentally friendly raw materials and components, in addition to promoting an audit system; (v) the adoption of management of green supply chain vendors to select and implement the SBP sustainable method for the unfolding of environmental indicators; and finally, (vi) the intensification of training on environmental education in the suppliers to assist in reverse logistics actions of post-consumer and post-sale for reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling.

Cleaner production; Sustainable development; Sustainability