Sustainable Manufacturing: Challenges, Approaches and a Roadmap

Manufacturing is an important pillar of the society providing goods and services of primary importance for supporting the quality of human life. One of the most pressing challenges facing Europe and the world is the need for a transition to resource-efficient economy. Sustainability, in a manufacturing context, means enabling a diverse pool of industrial participants to pursue economic growth without undermining social and environmental issues of workforce management, building community relations, use of natural resources, carbon dioxide emissions, waste management and product and services responsibility. This chapter discusses on the relevance of sustainability from manufacturing perspective, sustainable manufacturing definition, strategies, impacts and approaches and describes a roadmap for sustainable manufacturing.