Sustainable Production and Circular Economy

TISED hosted Dr. Nabil Nasr to present a public seminar on September 10th, 2015 on "Sustainable Production and the Circular Economy". Below is more information related to his talk and these topics. 

Overview

The growing demand for new products coupled with the rise in consumption in developing economies are straining the environment around the world. The major cause of continued deterioration in the global environment is unsustainable consumption and production, particularly in industrialized countries.  However, there is strong evidence that transitioning to a sustainable economy and circular economy can lead to higher economic growth while reducing the impact on the environment.

Industry is becoming aware that, to meet today’s demanding environmental standards, the life-cycle impacts of a production system must be understood and optimized.  In response, many designers are focusing on addressing the environmental impacts of products. This presentation will discuss a proposed framework and methodology for sustainable production and highlight initiatives in this area.  A discussion of remanufacturing; a key enabling technology to sustainable production, will also be presented outlining industry history, technologies, and practices.

Presentation Slides

Papers and presentation slides relevant to sustainable manufacturing are available here

About the Speaker

Dr. Nabil Nasr is Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and Director of the Golisano Institute for Sustainability at Rochester Institute of Technology. He has worked in the fields of sustainable production, remanufacturing, and sustainable product development for over 28 years, and is founder of the Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery, a leading source of applied research and solutions in remanufacturing technologies.  He has developed strong ties to industry through efforts to implement and improve sustainable design and remanufacturing processes at hundreds of companies from diverse sectors.  Dr. Nasr has served as an expert delegate for the U.S. government in several international forums including the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation and the World Trade Organization and was recently named as a member of the International Resource Panel of the United Nations Environment Programme.  Dr. Nasr earned a Ph.D. in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering from Rutgers University.