Papers by Keyword: Environmental Performance

Abstract: Three cementitious composites containing different natural fibres (flax, hemp and sea-grass) were evaluated from an environmental perspective by means of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method applying the cradle-to-gate approach. The environmental impact of these composites was compared to that of cementitious composites reinforced with conventional synthetic polyacrilonitrile (PAN) fibres. The functional unit was the production of one cubic meter of cementitious composites ready-for-use. The results show that generally the environmental footprint of composite with synthetic fibres is bigger than the footprint of the composites with added natural fibres. Exceptions may only be the impacts on eutrophication and freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity, which are significantly affected by cultivation of crops. Flax and hemp cultivation is associated with emissions to soil and water. For this reason, the composite mixture with flax fibres has a significantly greater impact on eutrophication and freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity than the composite mixture with synthetic fibres. A cementitious composite mixture with sea-grass shows the lowest impacts in all impact categories. The entire life cycle of the studied composites was not included in this research since the life cycle of natural fibre composites is not straightforward and is highly dependent on the durability of the fibres within the matrix.

Abstract: Products features have a significant effect on consumers’ buying intention as it identifies which of the consumers’ needs be fulfilled. In addition, emotional brand benefit is one of the important factors to switch consumers from actual consumption to eco-friendly purchasing. In this study, we explored the relationship between brand green image, environmental performance and consumer green consciousness and purchase intention by survey with target group age ranged 18-28. The survey results indicated that there is a direct relationship between brand green image environmental performance and consumer green consciousness and purchase intention of fashion products.

Abstract: An integrated environmental and operational efficiency model for evaluation of seven thermal power plants in Taiwan was constructed by data envelopment analysis (DEA). Inputs and desirable outputs along with 3 undesirable outputs, including CO₂, SOx, and NOx emissions were simulated. From results we found that the integrated efficiency and the production scale of most plants were inefficient during 2001- 2008. Reductions in fuel consumption and CO₂ emission are the major solutions for efficiency improvement. Other improvements include enhancing pollution control measures and optimizing power plant scales. Also, clean-coal technology and lower-carbon fuels should be enhanced to reduce CO₂ emissions from thermal power plants in Taiwan. In addition, flue gas desulfurization (FGD) and high efficient selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and advanced low-NOx burners can be installed to remove extra SOx and NOx emissions. Findings of this study can be of value for improving environmental and operational performance of thermal power plants in Taiwan as well as countries with similar concerns.

Abstract: The study on the property of modified asphalt was based on sulfur modified asphalt^,s environmental protection and microscopic analysis . The spectrophotometric^,s method of methylene blue was adopted for testing release quantity because of the process of reaction producing hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) gas between sulfur modifier agent and asphalt, the results showed that gas release quantity of environmental pollution were small which had good environmental protection performance; The analysis of SEM found modifier agent can be evenly dispersed in asphalt; The method of asphalt four components was used to study the compatibility of sulfur modified agent for asphalt, Modifier can absorb part of saturates and aromatics, however, colloid and asphaltene had no absorption; DSC showed that saturates and aromatics can be easy to react with modifier because their poor stability, while colloid and asphaltene were on the contrary.

Abstract: In the face of the global energy and environment problems, our country carries out some measures toward energy-saving environmental protection route in the construction field, which requires architects must start from the overall design concept for the preliminary design, fully considering the benefits between the various elements of environmental performance of building system. Environmental performance of building systems involves building system, the indoor environment of regional environmental impact and influence on the earth's environment, is a complex system. This paper introduces in detail the effects of five important factors in residential design in order to save energy, the effective use of resources to build low environmental load safety, healthy, efficiency, comfortable living space, people, environment and the construction of coexistence, continuous development of new construction mode.

Abstract: Environmental aspect is one of the important criteria that define and determine sustainability performance for concrete formwork system. This study is aimed to compare the performance of the most common types of formwork system Conventional Formwork & Steel Formwork System in responding to environment category of sustainability development using questionnaire survey distributed among construction experts. The steel formwork system gets 11.5 score points while conventional formwork collects 7.8 points of total 19.4 score can be achieved. Overall steel formwork performance surpasses the conventional formwork while their score for formwork reusable element was adjacent with only 0.5 score difference meantime steel formwork had override conventional formwork in impact on local environment element. Generally steel formwork system may conceder as more environment friendly than conventional formwork especially in waste generation and using renewable material.

Abstract: We employed catastrophe theory and entropy method to measure and compare the environmental performance and economic performance of 40 listed companies from the thermal power and steel industries in China, to explore their relationship. The results showed that the environmental performance of the steel industry was less than that of the thermal power industry, but their economic performance was similar. This means that steel industry has had lower resource use efficiency and more pollutant emission, and has a larger potential to saving resources, energy and environment pollution. Both the correlation analysis and regression analysis indicated that there existed a significant positive relationship between the environmental performance and economic performance of the steel industry and thermal power industry in China. This means that it is very possible to gain win-win situation of these two performances, if the listed companies tend to make advanced production and environment protection activities come into a benevolent cycle, by means of technology upgrading and transformation.

Abstract: For promoting the development of marine economy more sustainable, based the data envelopment analysis method and combined with the impact of the marine environment, the environmental performance of marine economy was evaluated for Chinese coastal provinces. Firstly the classical CCR model was used. Then a model considered undesirable outputs was made to suit to Chinese marine economy. Made use of the two models, the economic efficiencies without environmental consideration and the environmental performance index were calculated and compared. According to the results, the empirical relation between EPI and EE,per capita GDP and the industrial structure was analyzed.

Abstract: Sludge from tannery effluent treatment processes is a by-product of leather-making industry, in which chrome compounds are the most common used materials. The objective of this work was to investigate the effects and feasibility in the use of tannery sludge ash as a partial or total replacement of usual mineral filler such as in manufacture of waterproofing membranes. The effects of sludge ash on the morphology and mechanical properties of membranes were investigated. Leaching tests were carried out in order to guarantee that the fulfilment of filler function was done in respect with environmental criteria. Besides, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis was performed in order to assess the environmental performance of the waterproofing membrane filled by tannery sludge ash in comparison with the conventionally filled membrane. The performances of the membranes and the results of environmental assessment indicate that tannery sludge ash may be used as total replacement of CaCO₃ for waterproofing membranes.

Abstract: The textile industry is the subject of many environmental regulations and voluntary and administrative instruments. This tendency, together with the increasing general public interest, determined changes in the management of any company that wishes to fulfil the legislative demand and the demand of reporting. The first objective of this study is to establish in what extent the implementation of an environmental management system has an impact on organisational variables. The second objective is to identify the influence factors for the environmental management performance. The results of the study represent the base of some recommendations for the Romanian textile organisations so that they obtain as many advantages as possible from their strategy of sustainable development. We have used the survey method. We sent a questionnaire and we have received the answers of the 31 representatives in all sectors of the textile industry.