Sustainability and cleaner production principles in micro furniture companies: two Brazilian cases

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an environmental, technological and economic research, focusing on the management and operation of two small furniture companies in Brazil, aiming to analyze the level of raw material loss and waste generation during the production process. The companies studied are located in Manaus and Belo Horizonte, regions of different social, economic and technological context. Concepts such as Cleaner Production, Eco-efficiency, Eco-design and Product Development were addressed, aiming at an improvement proposal adequate to the real needs and limitations of each company. For that, the organizational characteristics were surveyed and the production processes adopted were described and evaluated. The study conclusions indicate that companies have very distinct features, which prevent the application of traditional systematic management tools. Moreover, research demonstrate that Product Development Process is not a defined process in the observed companies and the proximity of a raw material source (in this case, the Amazon forest) does not contribute decisively to the needs and problems related to the production processes.

The potential of design to build freedoms: a case study of design for sustainability in a scavengers association

“…The experience and tacit knowledge are essential in the production processes, especially in the selection of materials from donated furniture. This expertise and some elements of product development processes are also identified in micro furniture companies in Brazil (Souza et al, 2019).…”