Sustainable Manufacturing: Concepts and Opportunities

Towards a More Sustainable Future in Manufacturing

Abstract

As the way we produce and consume has changed in recent years, people are increasingly aware that a new economic model that takes these factors into consideration is required. Public concerns about the effect of industrial operations on the environment and society are growing, which has put increased pressure on the industries themselves to be open and honest in disclosing the consequences of their activities. Accordingly, this article first presents an overview of the main concepts related to sustainable manufacturing, meaning of sustainable manufacturing, need for future, important, opportunities for manufacturing sustainability within industry 4.0, and metrics to evaluate organizations’ sustainability performance. However, the positive ecological and economic impacts of sustainable manufacturing seem fairly widespread.