sustainability – OM in the News

Airbus Supply Ships Shifting to Wind Power

Airbus is replacing heavy fuel oil with wind power to run its transatlantic supply ship routes between Europe and the U.S..

The new shipping fleet will reduce the company’s average annual transatlantic carbon dioxide emissions by 63%, helping Airbus reach its decarbonization goals by 2030.

Video Spotlight:

Is Wind Power The Future of Shipping? (Oct 8, 2020, Ziroth)

This post is based on The Loadstar article, Airbus opts for wind power as it replaces its […]

By Anita Lee-Post, Ph.D.|2023-11-20T07:14:20+00:00November 15, 2023|Tags: logistics, social and environmental responsibility, supply chain sustainability, sustainability|

Nissan Going All-Electric in Europe

Nissan is going all-electric in Europe by 2030.

The company’s all-electric future plans are undergirded by “Concept 20-23”, a sporty urban fun-to-drive city electric vehicle. The Concept 20-23 has many performance enhancements (e.g., cobalt-free tech to reduce battery costs) and next-gen design features (e.g., circular LED headlights, butterfly doors, etc.) that may help shape the future of automobiles.

Video Spotlight:

Making of the Nissan Concept 20-23 (Sept 25, 2023, Nissan Europe)

This post is based on the Electrek […]

By Anita Lee-Post, Ph.D.|2023-10-25T07:26:35+00:00October 25, 2023|Tags: design factors, product design, sustainability|

Lego Redirects Efforts for Oil-Free Brick Design

Lego’s commitment to eliminate petroleum-based materials from its product has experienced a setback.

After years of research into alternative materials, Lego failed to find an adequate replacement that meets the current durability, safety, and quality standards. Despite the setback, Lego is not wavering from its commitment to reduce its carbon footprint.

It continues to test and develop Lego bricks made from alterative sustainable materials and to take other actions (e.g., replacing plastic packaging with paper) to be more sustainable.

Video Spotlight:

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By Anita Lee-Post, Ph.D.|2023-10-20T22:10:35+00:00October 20, 2023|Tags: packaging, product design, quality of conformance, quality of design, strategy, supply chain sustainability, sustainability|

Resale of Fast Fashion? Mother Earth Is Not Impressed

Contrary to early expectations, the resale of fast-fashion items has done little to reduce carbon emissions.

A recent study shows that the resale efforts might be misplaced because, in the end, few people want to buy clothes that were trendy last season, but have now lost their appeal. Business empires have been built on fast fashion. Yet, as shoppers become increasingly concerned about the environment, fast-fashion retailers face the challenge of keeping their cash cows while adopting new […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-10-14T14:32:56+00:00October 15, 2023|Tags: carbon footprint, inventory management, process selection, product design, sustainability|