Have you wondered why gold is so expensive or why so little plastic packaging is recycled?This highly readable book with a unique perspective on environmental sustainability answers these questions and more.
Readers will learn:
How metals and plastics are made and what happens when they are recycled
The challenges that manufacturers face when trying to make their facilities and products less toxic and less wasteful
How manufacturers can extract the value of materials while doing less damage to human health and the environment
The role of individuals, agencies, and governments in improving the use and reuse of materials
How regulations can stifle or promote innovation
How smart companies are embracing the triple bottom line--profit, people, planet--to yield creative solutions that make manufacturing safer and less wasteful
Why some big corporations painted as evildoers deserve a second look.
How reporting standards are making it easier to get a full picture of a company's environmental footprint
The author explains concepts clearly and concisely through compelling examples and personal stories. Hear the journeys of:
A business owner recycling scrap from airplane manufacturing
A former geologist running a chain of donut shops
Two entrepreneurs committed to improving e-waste processing
An executive promoting social and environmental responsibility at a major electronics company
A chemist developing safer cleaning products
Consultants helping businesses embrace practices that save resources and money
Other business professionals devoted to making the world a better place
Concerned citizens with or without a background in manufacturing or business will find surprising answers to the questions facing companies as they work toward making better use and reuse of materials. Readers will come away with a new awareness of the steps they can take to help the business world succeed in making manufacturing more sustainable and less wasteful.
