New Technology and Sustainability

The United States Environment Environment Protection Agency's Lean and Environment Initiative desired an analysis of the challenges of integrating new technologies into the manufacturing sector which can provide sustainable progress. The concerns were related to the hurdles that current regulatory systems may present to such sustainable direction. Additionally, when a valuable idea for sustainable manufacturing is identified, how does it move from a concept to an industry standard. An example to consider is the Energy Star Program—how it was identified and became a program that created industry incentive to improved manufacturing standards for sustainability.

The upward trend in the American consumer’s environmental awareness combined with the general momentum of post-recession economic revitalization puts sustainable manufacturing in a unique position to enhance the United States manufacturing sector’s competitive edge. Through an evaluation of how these drivers, impediments, and additional influences affect manufacturers’ implementation of sustainable practices, the Capstone team determined a four-step recommendation that aims to help manufacturers capitalize on the sustainable manufacturing movement.