Analysing causes of avoidable waste in complex systems: a case study from the nuclear industry

In low-income and middle-income countries, such as those in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, the COVID-19 pandemic has had substantial implications for women's wellbeing. Policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the gendered aspect of pandemics; however, addressing the gendered implications of the COVID-19 pandemic comprehensively and effectively requires a planetary health perspective that embraces systems thinking to inequalities. This Viewpoint is based on collective reflections from research done by the authors on COVID-19 responses by international and regional organisations, and national governments, in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa between June, 2020, and June, 2021. A range of international and regional actors have made important policy recommendations to address the gendered implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on women's health and wellbeing since the start of the pandemic. However, national-level policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have been partial and inconsistent with regards to gender in both sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, largely failing to recognise the multiple drivers of gendered health inequalities. This Viewpoint proposes that addressing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on women in low-income and middle-income countries should adopt a systems thinking approach and be informed by the question of who is affected as opposed to who is infected. In adopting the systems thinking approach, responses will be more able to recognise and address the direct gendered effects of the pandemic and those that emerge indirectly through a combination of long-standing structural inequalities and gendered responses to the pandemic.

In prior work, we proposed elements of a generalized core language for systems thinking that characterizes a systems approach. We developed this foundational language through the relationship between critical thought and systems in the definition of systems thinking. We submitted our interpretation of this language, i.e., the Dimensions of Systems Thinking (DST), to the systems community for further development. Assuming that the DST provides a basis in language to express systems thought in a systems design or analysis, our objective in this phase is to present a strategy for discovering objective statistical evidence of systems thinking based on the linguistic elements of the DST in an unread corpus of documents. With that goal, we consider statistical semantic characterization of systems thought through a process of supervised learning, term frequency and inverse document frequency (tf–idf), cosine similarity, and naive Bayes classifiers, specifically Rocchio classifiers and quadratic discriminant classification. Finding evidence of systems thinking in unread text through natural language processing establishes a foundation for computationally assessing systems thinking quality in a document or corpus of design-related documents without having to read the subject document or corpus. Once demonstrated, the method can be applied to systems thinking fluency in design-focused documents across a range of application areas, such as transportation, healthcare, and environmental policy. This study demonstrates that capability with a high degree of selectivity. Our approach establishes correlation and allows us to assess the systems thinking quality of a corpus of unread analysis and design studies on life cycle assessment. We show that assigning a prior probability improves that assessment. We posit that quantitative relations between the specific dimensions of systems thinking and a document would be useful for recognizing good systems thinking and improving the quality of systems analyses.

Application of LCA modelling in integrated waste management

The concept of circular economy consists of a wide range of strategies that aim to reduce the environmental impact of production systems and consumption patterns through increased circularity of resources. Circularity is mostly associated with material efficiency strategies that either close, slow or narrow loops, and a multitude of circularity metrics have been developed to evaluate the efficiency of such strategies. Relatively little effort has been made to quantitatively assess the connection between circularity, material efficiency, and environmental sustainability. More knowledge is required about how material-based circularity metrics can be used to guide practitioners of the circular economy towards strategies that foster environmental sustainability. In this study, a novel structured approach is adopted to perform such a comparison by including closing, slowing, and narrowing strategies on a lawn mowing case. Four circularity metrics that can capture material strategies throughout product value chains (Material Efficiency Metric, Material Circularity Indicator, Circularity Potential Indicator and Circular Economy Indicator Prototype) are compared to three complementary midpoint categories using Life Cycle Assessment (Global Warming Potential, Material Resource Scarcity, and Human Non-Carcinogenic Toxicity). The results show that the studied circularity metrics generate accurate results when evaluating Material Resource Scarcity and that they rank the material efficiency strategies equally with all environmental impact categories. The circularity metrics are unable to capture the benefits of reduced energy and the correspondence to all impact categories is lower in scenarios with higher energy use. We conclude that the strength of the studied circularity metrics is twofold: i) promoting solutions that reduce material demand and waste creation and ii) highlighting the advantages of combining complementary circularity strategies. This research shows that the material-based circularity metrics can be valuable guidance tools for practitioners of circular economy, as they do not require methodological expertise and can align the results with Life Cycle Assessments in some specific situations. More comparisons between circularity metric results and Life Cycle Assessments are needed in future research to establish state-of-the-art circularity metrics for specific situations and purposes, including energy-focused circularity metrics.

Foundries represent a significant part of the world’s economy and are a large consumer of energy and producer of solid waste. Sand-handling processes can use 5–10% of a foundry’s total energy. The goal of this research was to explore source reduction and waste minimization at a foundry, using both economic and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) techniques to compare three secondary sand-reclamation options. LCA software modeled all sand processes at a mid-sized ferrous foundry in the USA. The LCA showed all secondary reclamation technologies, while more energy intensive at the foundry, lowered life cycle environmental impacts, including GHG emissions, ecotoxicity, and human health indicators, due primarily to source reduction and corresponding reduction in transportation both from the virgin sand source and to the landfill. Varying transportation distance had a large impact on LCA results to the point where the life cycle benefit of secondary reclamation became a liability in a zero distance scenario. Varying electricity generation to favor greener sources was also examined, but proved to have minimal impact on the LCA results. This research suggests that the greatest reduction of life cycle impacts in the sand-handling processes for a foundry is to find a geographically closer source for virgin sand.

Overview of household solid waste recycling policy status and challenges in Malaysia

Systems thinking offers a particularly useful worldview for dealing with increasing complexities faced by individuals. This paper explores the nature, assessment, and implications that systems thinking holds for individuals challenged by the shifting landscape of modern complex system governance. Following an introduction that identifies the main attributes of complex systems faced by individuals who engage in governance activities, three major themes are developed: 1) exploration of the concept of systems thinking; 2) suggestion of how enhanced systems thinking can increase the capability of individuals to more effectively design for system governance; 3) a strategic framework and initial findings for application of an instrument for assessment of the level of systems thinking for an individual. Systems thinking is suggested as a critical capability for individuals who must design, analyse, and transform complex system governance and address its derivative problems. Effectiveness in systems thinking is a critical skill for addressing some of the most vexing problems of the 21st century. This paper summarises the findings of a systems thinking instrument developed to identify the systems skills individuals need to engage complex system governance. The paper concludes with future research and application of the systems thinking instrument to better understand complex system governance.

This paper proposes Systems Thinking as a methodology to better observe, learn, analyse and construct curriculum and pedagogy. Informed by von Bertalanffy’s (1950) principle of Dynamic Equilibrium (Fliessgleichgewich), Systems Thinking presents a means to consider complex systems as continuously breaking down and rebuilding to adapt and maintain function. In addition, I refer to two root metaphors applied by key systems theorists: (i) Descartes world like a machine (reductionism) and (ii) world like an Ecology (holism) and relate these to a Systems Thinking approach to curriculum construction, pedagogy and learning. I also draw upon the Aristotelian dictum: ‘the whole is greater than its parts’ (gestalt) to illustrate how elements of all systems are interconnected and how the application of Systems Thinking can inform new pedagogical approaches and curriculum design. In explaining how a Systems Thinking approach could apply to curriculum development, I draw on two key theorists who draw their perspectives from organismic biology: Ludwig von Bertalanffy and Fritjof Capra, and compare their concepts with theorists who focus on more organisational and applied perspectives, such as Russell Ackoff and Peter Senge. I link this spectrum of Systems Thinking to curriculum development, by first considering its specific relevance to education through its relationship to applied approaches to learning, such as those proposed by Kurt Fischer and Zheng Yan (1998) and Fischer (2019). I then consider the potential for Systems Thinking to act as an analytical tool, which can be applied to global/national educational policy and practice. By looking at critiques of the reductionist Global Education Reform Movement (GERM) as described by Sahlberg (2012), I consider the ways in which taking a Systems Thinking lens can shift the balance in curriculum design more towards Capra’s proposal for a deeper ecology in learning. Finally, I examine the case of the Australian Curriculum and outline how Systems Thinking provides an innovative methodology to support curriculum development of relevance to today’s context. In considering effective historic and emerging initiatives, I propose future approaches where Systems Thinking can be a co-creation tool for learners throughout the education system that is sensitive to student self-efficacy, personalised and independent learning. This is imperative if we are going to prepare students for a future world that cannot be conceived, predicted nor imagined.

Understanding complex systems is an important goal for science learning, so it requires a deep understanding of complex systems knowledge as a subject matter that should be taught in schools. The analysis was conducted to find the dimensions of complex systems and their relevance to the characteristics of systems thinking in the context of science. The systems thinking framework in science learning materials is built based on the dimensions of complex systems and systems thinking. The results of the conceptualization of systems thinking framework are expected to provide a way to select science learning materials as content knowledge of complex systems and contribute to complex systems learning that facilitates systems thinking.

The rapid depletion of natural resources, increasing waste generation, and escalating environmental impacts of conventional manufacturing systems have intensified the global shift toward sustainable industrial practices. Green manufacturing technologies play a pivotal role in enabling this transition by integrating resource efficiency, cleaner production, and closed-loop material flows aligned with circular economy principles. This paper examines the technological foundations and strategic significance of green manufacturing in fostering circularity across industrial value chains. Key approaches discussed include energy-efficient processes, sustainable material selection, eco-design, additive manufacturing, waste minimization, remanufacturing, and advanced recycling technologies. The study further highlights the role of digital tools such as Industry 4.0, life cycle assessment, and smart monitoring systems in optimizing resource utilization and reducing environmental footprints. By evaluating environmental, economic, and operational benefits, the paper demonstrates how green manufacturing technologies contribute to reduced emissions, enhanced material recovery, and long-term industrial resilience. Challenges related to technological integration, cost, scalability, and policy implementation are also addressed. The findings emphasize that the adoption of green manufacturing technologies is not only an environmental imperative but also a strategic pathway for industries to achieve sustainable growth and competitiveness within a circular economy framework. Keywords: 6R Framework, smart manufacturing, circular economy, industrial ecology and life cycle assessment.

Solid waste is one of the greatest environmental challenges facing most municipalities in Malaysia. The household sector is the primary source of solid waste in Malaysia, accounting for almost 60% of the total. Other important sources of solid waste include industries, commercials, and institutions. This paper presents the result of the survey among the households in Kuala Terengganu regarding the attitude and participation in Solid Waste Management (SWM). The research argues that to achieve sustainability, public involvement in environmental and solid waste policies is crucial. No programmes or policies can be successful without the involvement of people and grassroots leaders. Thus, this paper will examine household attitudes and participation via a waste recycling programme to deliver a sustainability policy for SWM in Malaysia. To learn more about perceptions and attitudes about waste management, a questionnaire survey was distributed to households in Kuala Terengganu. A list of questions was asked of respondents, such as items from the level of education to personal and social background information. Accordingly, 100 questionnaires were distributed in selected areas in Kuala Terengganu. The survey results indicate a lack of concern among households about participating in recycling activities. The main factors for participation in the recycling programme were educational background, housing conditions, and level of established income. In summary, Terengganu’s SWM system is poor and fragmented. The institutional structure and managerial aspects of SWM are also problematic. As a result, Malaysia’s national SWM strategy is crucial to ensuring its sustainability. Campaigns and educational initiatives are needed to raise public awareness of the issues and effects related to the generation, collection, transportation, and disposal of solid waste.

Complex systems interact with an environment where a high degree of uncertainty exists. To reduce uncertainty, enterprises (should) create intelligence. This chapter shows that intelligence has two purposes: first, to increase and to assess (thus to correct) existing knowledge, and second, to support decision making by reducing uncertainty. The chapter discusses complex adaptive systems. Enterprises are not only complex systems; they are also most of the time dynamic because they have to adapt their goals, means, and structure to survive in the fast evolving (and thus unstable) environment. Crucial for enterprises is to know the context/ecology in which they act and operate. The Cynefin framework makes the organization and/or its parts aware of the possible contexts of the organization and/or its parts: simple, complicated, complex, chaotic, or disordered. It is crucial for the success of implementing and using EA that EA is adapted to function in an environment of perpetual change. To realize this, the chapter proposes and elaborates a new concept of EA, namely Complex Adaptive Systems Thinking – Enterprise Architecture (CAST-EA).

The construction industry and the resulting built environment has been a major focus of discussions on the interactions between production and the environment. As a major consumer of resources and generator of emissions and solid waste has also been a focus for the development of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Despite the suitability of LCA to the delivery of environmental issues in the construction industry, many authors made explicit some characteristics related to buildings that hinder the development of LCA studies. Aiming to change this scenario this paper proposes a review of different approaches of LCA research to identify barriers and opportunities of each approach and the possibilities of their application, identifying ways to simplify the process of applying the life cycle thinking. The research identified the massive use of databases, demonstrating the need to include data from developing countries through the availability of data by mandatory environmental audits. It would contribute to access to information of industrial processes.

Food security and waste minimisation are the main concerns for the management of food supply chains (FSC), as >33 % of global food production is wasted or lost due to mismanagement. Stakeholders must address the ongoing issues, such as resource scarcity, climate change, waste creation etc. to create an environment conducive to sustainable production and consumption (SPC) and to promote economic sustainability. Resource efficiency and waste minimization are necessary for SPC in the FSC. Technologies from the Industry 4.0 era have demonstrated their ability to address these problems effectively. However, there are barriers to the adoption of digital technology because of internal or external issues. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the challenges faced by the food industry while applying digital technology to attain SPC. The current study has adopted an integrated methodology of Best-Worst-Method (BWM)-Level Based Weight Assessment (LBWA) and Combined Compromise Solution (CoCoSo) methods to analyse the barriers in implementing digital technologies to achieve SPC in FSC. Strategic measures to overcome these barriers are suggested. The BWM-LBWA-CoCoSo technique is used for the first time in this study to evaluate the barriers and determine the most effective strategies. According to the BWM-LBWA research, “organisational barriers” are the main impediment to the adoption of digital technology for SPC in the FSC. According to CoCoSo findings, the best way to overcome the major barriers is to “focus on improving commitment from senior management towards SPC.” The study gives decision-makers information about the major barriers in utilizing advanced digital technology to achieve SPC in FSC.

Complex systems affect every part of our lives from the ecosystems that we inhabit and share with other living organisms to the systems that supply our water (i.e., water cycle). Evaluating events, entities, problems, and systems from multiple perspectives is known as a systems thinking approach. New curriculum standards have made explicit the call for teaching with a systems thinking approach in our science classrooms. However, little is known about how elementary in-service or pre-service teachers understand complex systems especially in terms of systems thinking. This mixed methods study investigated 67 elementary in-service teachers’ and 69 pre-service teachers’ knowledge of a complex system (e.g., water cycle) and their knowledge of systems thinking. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sub-sample of participants. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of content assessment data and questionnaires were conducted. Results from this study showed elementary in-service and pre-service teachers applied different levels of systems thinking from novice to intermediate. Common barriers to complete systems thinking were identified with both in-service and pre-service teachers and included identifying components and processes, recognizing multiple interactions and relationships between subsystems and hidden dimensions, and difficulty understanding the human impact on the water cycle system.