A systematic methodology for improving resource efficiency in small and medium-sized enterprises

This article offers a systematic and practical framework for identifying sustainable manufacturing practices from a resource efficiency perspective to assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) achieve industry-specific resource efficiency goals. It describes a tool called the Resource Efficiency Guidebook (REG) that combines a resource efficiency principle matrix and spreadsheet calculators to offer SMEs a systematic model for identifying and selecting industrial resource efficiency projects. REG contains assessment recommendations selected from industrial resource assessments performed in real manufacturing facilities. REG consists with six distinct resource categories where each category is accompanied by a list of common assessment recommendations (ARs). These ARs address specific improvements in resource efficiency and cost savings opportunities from across all genres of manufacturing industry. Each AR is accompanied by information containing all of the necessary calculations to re-produce the AR in another plant. Additionally, each resource category is accompanied by a set of best practices that explains the fundamentals of resource efficiency principles. This paper presents brief case studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of the REG for improving resource efficiency both economically and environmentally and discusses for the continued development of holistic and practical methods for assessing, developing and implementing resource efficiencies.