James Colwill

Research on food security and resilience has focused primarily on improving production of traditional crops and livestock (agriculture, crop science, genetics etc.). However significant losses occur after this initial production phase during storage, transportation, processing and preparation. Whilst increased competition and margin pressures within this sector are constant drivers for efficiency improvements and waste reduction, they can also have unintended consequences on the resilience of food manufacturers and their supply chains. This paper examines how current trends and initiatives could impact the resilience of the UK food manufacturing sector and their wider impacts on UK food security.

This thesis reports on the research undertaken to investigate the reduction of the environmental impacts of plastic packaging through the effective selection and application of biopolymers during the pack design process. The principle objective of this research is to develop an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of biopolymers as a packaging material and to develop a framework which enables biopolymers to be considered at each stage of the pack design process to enable their effective and appropriate selection and use.

In 2011, the human population surpassed 7 billion (http://www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2011/worldpopulation-data-sheet/population-bulletin.aspx) raising fresh debate as to the ability of the earth to support our ever increasing numbers and levels of consumerism. However, the majority of this growth in population is occurring in the poorest countries, with the highest mortality rates and lowest levels of consumption. In fact, the greatest pressure on resources will come from increased consumerism in the developed and developing countries. Birth rates generally decline as populations become wealthier and healthier. Hans Rosling argues that by eliminating poverty, we can stabilise world population size (http://www.gapminder.org/videos/ population-growth-explained-with-ikea-boxes/), but we will require new sustainable technologies to enable and maintain these improvements. Therefore, the main challenge for manufacturing is to meet the growing needs of these new consumers, whilst minimising the impact on the earth’s resources through sustainable technologies. It was originally intended to publish a special issue that would focus entirely on bio-based polymers and oils. However, the scope has been expanded to include a wider range of approaches for improving sustainable polymer use to include methods and technologies in remanufacturing and recycling. The use of renewable materials in manufacturing will become increasingly necessary to replace the use of current finite resources, such as fossil fuels, as they are increasingly depleted. However, renewable materials are only sustainable if their use does not exceed the limits of the system’s ability to regenerate them. Thus, we begin this issue with an examination of the fundamental question, global carrying capacity, for renewable polymer production. The paper by Colwill et al. examines how the global capacity for biopolymer production by 2050 might be constrained by feedstock availability when other competing demands on agricultural land use are accounted for. This is followed by a paper that remains at a system level, considering the green supply chain for plastic films. Golghate and Pawar suggest the five steps that are required to develop a framework for the co-existence of ecosystems and plastic industry for a better environment. The third paper, by Doll and Sharma, investigates the physical properties of bio-based lubricant oils and shows how the kinematic viscosity and pour point of one such oil (soya) can be controlled through its blending in specific ratios with a synthetic ester. The fourth paper, by Chevali and Ulven, examines the effect of extrusion screw speed on biocomposite thermomechanical properties and suggests that optimising the residence time as a means towards achieving a balance of properties. This is followed with a review, by Medina-Gonzalez et al., of the use of supercritical CO2 in several cellulose applications to improve subsequent processing or to create alternative material structures with unique characteristics. Renewable materials, however, are only part of the solution. Managing our material resources throughout their lifecycle, in the most efficient and sustainable manner, will be vital in ensuring that we have sufficient materials to meet our future manufacturing needs. One such approach to utilising waste polymers is considered in the next paper, by Henry et al., which investigates the effects of combining rubber crumbs with recycled aggregates and fly ash on the mechanical properties and environmental impact of concrete. We continue the theme of finding alternative applications for recycled waste with our final paper of this issue, by Wang et al., which reports on a carbon footprint analysis of sign substrate material made from recycled e-waste in comparison to aluminium.

New products introduced by consumer goods companies operating in many market sectors are often not as successful as expected even though they are functionally reliable and produced to a consistent standard. They do not seem to connect with the feelings of customers who are rejecting anything that does not truly satisfy them in the way that they want to live. The Japanese realised earlier than most that their product development methods just did not reveal the deep insights into customers’ feelings that enabled emotional needs to be satisfied. They have developed methods and tools to overcome this, supporting the creation of products targeted to meet those needs, that they call Kansei Engineering. This report is about a mission to Japan to study that. Experience of the use of Kansei Engineering was sought from the food and drink (Asahi Breweries Ltd.), packaging (Toppan Printing Co. Ltd.), building products (Matsushita Electric Works Ltd.), cosmetics (Shiseido Company Ltd., Milbon Co., Ltd.), electronic products (Seiko Epson Corporation) and automotive (Mazda Motor Corporation) sectors, and from three Universities (Hiroshima International, Shinshu and Tsukuba).

The current study represents an experimental and steady-state computational analysis of the mass flow through a single metering orifice with uniform and non-uniform chamfers. Chamfered holes have been used extensively in gas turbine air-systems for the ease of production and their (relatively high) discharge coefficient is insensitive to typical chamfer depth tolerances. This work extends the understanding of chamfer tolerances by investigating non-uniform chamfers due to angular misalignment of the chamfer tool relative to the hole. The range of the deviation angles between the axis of the tool and the axis of the metering orifice was 0–12°. The tests were performed in the pressure ratio range of 1.1...1.48, representing the range between idle and take-off operation points. A 3D CFD analysis of the tests using the Shear-Stress Transport (SST) k–ω model to simulate the mean flow field inside the metering orifice has also been completed. The results showed that at large pressure ratios, representative of the take-off operation point, the metering orifice with non-uniform chamfers showed reduction in mass flow delivery as high as 4%. A threshold in metering holes performance was detected for the tool inclination of 9.5°. At low pressure ratios, for conditions typically representative of idle operation point, a small deviation angle causes mass flow increase across the orifice.

Purpose Lean distributed manufacturing (LDM) is being considered as an enabler of achieving sustainability and resilience in manufacturing and supply chain operations. The purpose of this paper is to enhance the understanding of how LDM characteristics affect the resilience of manufacturing companies by drawing upon the experience of food manufacturing companies operating in the UK. Design/methodology/approach The paper develops a conceptual model to analyse the impact of LDM on the operational resilience of food manufacturing companies. A triangulation research methodology (secondary data analysis, field observations and structured interviews) is used in this study. In a first step, LDM enablers and resilience elements are identified from literature. In a second step, empirical evidence is collected from six food sub-sectors aimed at identifying LDM enablers being practised in companies. Findings The analysis reveals that LDM enablers can improve the resilience capabilities of manu...

The adoption of circularity indicators in the electrical and electronic sector is understood to play a critical role in organisational decision making during the transition from a linear to a circular economy. Yet, it is widely recognised that there is no standardised method of measuring circularity performance. Additionally, the extent of literature uncovers a range of shortcomings of existing cross-sector circularity indicators, including a predominant focus on end-of-life, limited coverage of social measurements, a lack of sector specificity and limited capture of product functionality, durability or sharing. Furthermore, the current electrical and electronic sector-specific circularity indicators focus greatly on repair and recycling, failing to acknowledge the significant impact on circularity of the design and manufacturing, distribution and use phases. Therefore, this research set out to answer how electrical and electronic manufacturers can measure the circular economy perfo...

Supporting Information Files for The imperative of embedding sustainability in business: a model for transformational sustainable development<br>Sustainable development is the current strategic trajectory with transformative intent for complex global challenges including eradication of poverty, full social inclusion and prevention of ecological collapse. However, discourses related to the private sector emphasise economic and social development over the environmental components of sustainable development. Embedding sustainability is the related management imperative for business, supported by numerous frameworks, yet there is confusion about implementation in both literature and practice. This research addresses these issues with a mixed methods study combining a scoping literature review with a qualitative e‐Delphi study. The main findings are that the economic system constrains the embedding of sustainability in business; and that a paradigm shift towards ecocentric business...

Circularity in manufacturing is critical to reducing raw material usage and waste. Ecological embeddedness examines circular relationships intended to benefit both economic actors and the natural environment. By understanding circular relationships in the value chain, manufacturers can formulate strategies that are eco-effective. This work develops and validates an original circularity tool to measure the ecological embeddedness of manufacturers using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The tool is tested on process manufacturers selling products in the United Kingdom. The three main results are that the tool is useful and comprehensive (87% of users), enables simple comparisons with competitors, and identifies weaknesses in strategies related to the five dimensions connecting manufacturers, consumers, and the environment: understanding, realising, utilising, negotiating, and reclaiming. Manufacturers may use the tool to improve their ecological embeddedness, and sector-ba...

Unless strategies are adopted to ensure materials remain in circulation within the economy, the manufacturing sector may be unable to support increasing demand from a growing global population. The purpose of this research is to present a framework for manufacturers to aid in the formulation of ecologically embedded strategy. The framework proposes five steps which integrate corporate, business, operations and sustainability strategy in a holistic manner with operations strategy informing business strategy. Qualitative comparative analysis is implemented to identify the causal characteristics of ecologically embedded products which are then used to select two cases for the application of process tracing (PT). Product case studies indicate a failure to communicate provenance, quality and lifecycle information to consumers, and hence, the slowing or closing of loops as part of a circular economy is not being effectively realised. PT confirms the feasibility of the framework for ecocen...

... from renewable resources. Through the development of different consumption and productivity scenarios, projected using current and historic data, the feasibility of meeting global demands for food, liquid fuels and plastics is investigated, based on total agricultural land ...

Improving material efficiency is widely accepted as one of the key challenges facing manufactures in the future. The increasing consumption of materials, in addition to depleting finite resources, is having detrimental impacts on the environment associated with their extraction, processing and disposal. It is clear that radical improvements in material efficiency are required to avoid further environmental damage and maintain a healthy manufacturing sector. Current material flow analysis and resource management methodologies are used to improve the efficiency of material consumption in economic terms, and environmental assessment methodologies are used to determine environmental impacts, a methodology to effectively assess material efficiency according to both criteria is currently not available. This paper highlights the benefits of considering a broader range of parameters in material flow modelling to support advances in increased material efficiency and proposes a 'material...

Research on food security and resilience has focused primarily on improving production of traditional crops and livestock (agriculture, crop science, genetics etc.). However significant losses occur after this initial production phase during storage, transportation, processing and preparation. Whilst increased competition and margin pressures within this sector are constant drivers for efficiency improvements and waste reduction, they can also have unintended consequences on the resilience of food manufacturers and their supply chains. This paper examines how current trends and initiatives could impact the resilience of the UK food manufacturing sector and their wider impacts on UK food security.

The current study represents an experimental and steadystate computational analysis of the mass flow through a single metering orifice with uniform and non-uniform chamfers. Chamfered holes have been used extensively in air-systems for the ease of production and their (relatively high) discharge coefficient is insensitive to typical chamfer depth tolerances. This work extends the understanding of chamfer tolerances by investigating non-uniform chamfers due to angular misalignment of the chamfer tool relative to the hole. The range of the deviation angles between the axis of the tool and the axis of the metering orifice was 0-12 degrees. The tests were performed in the pressure ratio range of 1.1…1.48, representing the range between idle and take-off operation points. A 3D CFD analysis of the tests using the Shear-Stress Transport (SST) k–ω model to simulate the mean flow field inside the metering orifice has also been completed. The results showed that at large pressure ratios, repr...

This thesis reports on the research undertaken to investigate the reduction of the environmental impacts of plastic packaging through the effective selection and application of biopolymers during the pack design process. The principle objective of this research is to develop an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of biopolymers as a packaging material and to develop a framework which enables biopolymers to be considered at each stage of the pack design process to enable their effective and appropriate selection and use.

Oil-derived plastics have become well established as a packaging material over the past 75 years due to their many technical and commercial advantages. However, the disposal of plastic packaging waste, a large proportion of which still goes to landfill, continues to raise increasing environmental concerns. Meanwhile, the price of oil continues to rise as demand outstrips supply. In response, biodegradable polymers made from renewable resources have risen to greater prominence, with a variety of materials currently being developed from plant starch, cellulose, sugars and proteins. Whilst the polymer science continues apace, the real ecological impacts and benefits of these materials remain uncertain. Although life cycle assessment (LCA) has been used to provide comparisons with oil-derived plastics, published studies are often limited in scope, allowing the validity of their conclusions to be challenged. The literature appears to support the popular assumption that the end-of-life ma...

A number of non-energy materials have been identified by the EU as being critical to the manufacturing sector and wider economy. A material is termed a critical material when it has a “high economic importance combined with a high risk of supply shortage” relative to other materials as defined by the EU. This criticality of specific raw materials will become increasingly acute as the escalating use of finite resources continues, driven by increasing consumer demand for an ever wider variety of products by a growing global population. Critical materials are vital elements in the value chain yet many manufacturers are unaware if they are affected by the use of a critical material in their operations. We have previously developed a framework that takes a systematic approach to identifying, assessing and mitigating risk associated with critical materials bilaterally up and down the value chain. In this paper we examine how this framework can be facilitated for application in industry th...

New products introduced by consumer goods companies operating in many market sectors are often not as successful as expected even though they are functionally reliable and produced to a consistent standard. They do not seem to connect with the feelings of customers who are rejecting anything that does not truly satisfy them in the way that they want to live. The Japanese realised earlier than most that their product development methods just did not reveal the deep insights into customers’ feelings that enabled emotional needs to be satisfied. They have developed methods and tools to overcome this, supporting the creation of products targeted to meet those needs, that they call Kansei Engineering. This report is about a mission to Japan to study that. Experience of the use of Kansei Engineering was sought from the food and drink (Asahi Breweries Ltd.), packaging (Toppan Printing Co. Ltd.), building products (Matsushita Electric Works Ltd.), cosmetics (Shiseido Company Ltd., Milbon Co...

Circular economy has gained momentum since the 1970s as a regenerative alternative to the traditional linear economy. However, as the circular economy has gone mainstream, circularity claims have become fragmented and remote, consisting of indirect contributions, such as the life extension of other products and the use of waste as feedstock, without addressing the actual cause of waste. The present study aims to identify the strategic motivations of manufacturers participating in the circular economy and the corresponding relationship to ecological embeddedness. This paper explores the circular economy in manufacturing through existing products on the market and their relationship to eco-design by considering the product, packaging, and its production. Legitimacy is found to be a decisive factor in whether the type of circular economy strategy manufacturers adopt yields ecological benefits. The results from the case study of products clearly indicate the superiority of ecological em...