WS2 Archives - Transfire

Key performance indicators in sustainability reporting: what do we need to measure?

Key performance indicators in sustainability reporting: what do we need to measure?

Sustainability reporting is a vital tool to provide information on an organisations’ social, economic, and environmental performance and is an essential way for organisations to demonstrate accountability to their various stakeholders. But how do companies know which metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) they should use? The TransFIRe project through its different Work Streams (WS) is addressing the need of identifying the most suitable metrics for the foundation industries (FI), by looking at different levels for measuring and reporting performance, ranging from the process level to factory level and eventually to the “beyond the fence” level (a system view, looking from the perspective of external stakeholders, including the surrounding community, and the environment). Figure 1 - Schematic representation of the different levels for measuring performance of FIs. Process level metrics At a process level, TransFIRe researchers have created a framework to help the manufacturing industries identify the right [...]

Joanna Johnson2023-06-05T11:02:10+00:00May 16th, 2023|

Investigating alternative uses for Spent Foundry Sand

After an extensive literature review by TransFIRe researchers, a number of potential applications for re-using huge quantities of Spent Foundry Sand (SFS) have been identified. As part of Work Stream 2 of the TransFIRe project, which focusses on creating new materials and process opportunities for the foundation industries, TransFIRe researchers have been undertaking a case study focussing on potential uses of Spent Foundry Sand (SFS), a waste product of UK metals foundries leftover after the production of sand moulds or cores for casting of metals. A literature review, carried out with input from the Cast Metals Federation, John Winter Ltd and Wm Lee Ltd, was undertaken to identify potential opportunities for re-using SFS and several applications were identified within ceramics, glass, cement, fillers in concrete and asphalt; and several others. Although SFS can be successfully recycled and used numerous times, the sand grains eventually degrade and their ability to [...]

Joanna Johnson2023-05-15T08:44:48+00:00May 15th, 2023|

TransFIRe Industrial Symbiosis Workshop helps identify new valuable partnerships with foundation industries

Over the past few months, TransFIRe has been working with project partner International Synergies Ltd on their first industrial symbiosis workshop, generating a range of exciting results with the potential to reduce cost, cut carbon emissions and reduce waste disposal for foundation industries. The workshop brought together around 50 participants from over 30 organisations with the aim of bringing together the six foundation industries (cement, chemicals, ceramics, metals, glass and paper), with representation from their respective supply chains, to identify opportunities for industrial symbiosis. Companies exchanged information on the resources, wastes and by-products they had and which they could benefit from, highlighting a significant number of industrial symbiosis synergies, some quick wins and other longer term innovation opportunities. These are currently being taken forward and developed by the TransFIRe team in close collaboration with our project partners. Out of the 172 resources presented, 83 ideas, or potential synergies, [...]

Joanna Johnson2023-02-27T15:03:10+00:00January 24th, 2023|