Monday, August 06, 2012
Have you ever heard someone refer to a ‘closed loop’ production system and wondered what they meant? According to a joint report drafted by the Society for Organizational Learning, The Sustainability Institute, and the Rocky Mountain Institute (2000), a closed loop production system “is focused on the elimination of waste in the system.
Such production models seek to emulate nature, where waste from any system is food for another system”. In other words, any waste as a result of making the original product is captured and re-integrated into the production cycle for the creation of something else.
Such production models seek to emulate nature, where waste from any system is food for another system”. In other words, any waste as a result of making the original product is captured and re-integrated into the production cycle for the creation of something else.
For example, plants operate based on a closed loop production cycle. They draw their nutrients from the soil and sun (both renewable) and use these to grow and reproduce. Any dead leaves or the like (which could be considered as a type of waste) fall to the ground which are then broken down in the soil to provide new nutrients for new plant growth. Also, the oxygen they produce during photosynthesis is beneficial to the animal kingdom, so nothing ever gets wasted.
Legaré Furniture is a great example of a company that is moving towards a closed loop production system. Their sustainable line of bamboo furniture has an eco friendly ‘carbonized’ finish that is produced by a non-toxic kiln process that uses the waste material from the making of the plywood for its heat source. It’s such a simple concept, but it just goes to show how a little innovation can really go a long way in terms of protecting the environment.
Reference:
Society for Organizational Learning, The Sustainability Institute & Rocky Mountain Institute. (2000). Systems thinking primer for natural capitalism: The four basic shifts. Retrieved from http://www.sustainer.org/pubs/Seville.Nat.Cap.html
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