Challenges when working with renewable materials: knocking on wood?
With sustainable design as a vital strategical component for companies competing on the market today, many companies will need to transition to a use of sustainable and/or renewable materials in the near future. But how can this be done, and what can be done to bridge the gap from current affairs to...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2021-11-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Sustainable Engineering |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19397038.2021.1970854 |
| _version_ | 1797678272671121408 |
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| author | Fredrik Henriksson Kerstin Johansen Simon Schütte |
| author_facet | Fredrik Henriksson Kerstin Johansen Simon Schütte |
| author_sort | Fredrik Henriksson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | With sustainable design as a vital strategical component for companies competing on the market today, many companies will need to transition to a use of sustainable and/or renewable materials in the near future. But how can this be done, and what can be done to bridge the gap from current affairs to a new, more sustainable state? Looking towards industries with experience might help making the first step just a little bit easier. This study aims to find challenges and bottlenecks when working with sustainable materials, in order to help companies interested in transitioning towards using sustainable or renewable materials in their products. The paper describes an interview study with five Swedish wood industry companies, differentiated in size and products, where the authors identify several key findings for both industry (already working with wood or aiming at transitioning towards renewable materials) and academia (on using renewable materials, need for further research, and pointers for teaching design and engineering students). Findings range from how organisational culture affects material selection, to how flexibility and efficiency effects automation solutions via how these companies have approached outsourcing of parts of their production. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T22:57:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1e487e2ff377447e91109952f2769e58 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1939-7038 1939-7046 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T22:57:19Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Sustainable Engineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-1e487e2ff377447e91109952f2769e582023-09-21T15:17:04ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Sustainable Engineering1939-70381939-70462021-11-011461980198710.1080/19397038.2021.19708541970854Challenges when working with renewable materials: knocking on wood?Fredrik Henriksson0Kerstin Johansen1Simon Schütte2Linköping UniversityLinköping UniversityLinköping UniversityWith sustainable design as a vital strategical component for companies competing on the market today, many companies will need to transition to a use of sustainable and/or renewable materials in the near future. But how can this be done, and what can be done to bridge the gap from current affairs to a new, more sustainable state? Looking towards industries with experience might help making the first step just a little bit easier. This study aims to find challenges and bottlenecks when working with sustainable materials, in order to help companies interested in transitioning towards using sustainable or renewable materials in their products. The paper describes an interview study with five Swedish wood industry companies, differentiated in size and products, where the authors identify several key findings for both industry (already working with wood or aiming at transitioning towards renewable materials) and academia (on using renewable materials, need for further research, and pointers for teaching design and engineering students). Findings range from how organisational culture affects material selection, to how flexibility and efficiency effects automation solutions via how these companies have approached outsourcing of parts of their production.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19397038.2021.1970854wood industrymaterial selectionproduct developmentproduct designproduction flexibility |
| spellingShingle | Fredrik Henriksson Kerstin Johansen Simon Schütte Challenges when working with renewable materials: knocking on wood? International Journal of Sustainable Engineering wood industry material selection product development product design production flexibility |
| title | Challenges when working with renewable materials: knocking on wood? |
| title_full | Challenges when working with renewable materials: knocking on wood? |
| title_fullStr | Challenges when working with renewable materials: knocking on wood? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Challenges when working with renewable materials: knocking on wood? |
| title_short | Challenges when working with renewable materials: knocking on wood? |
| title_sort | challenges when working with renewable materials knocking on wood |
| topic | wood industry material selection product development product design production flexibility |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19397038.2021.1970854 |
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