Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council EPSRC SUE Knowledge Mapping Knowledge Mapping in

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Engineering and Physical Sciences Research
Council (EPSRC)SUE Knowledge Mapping
Knowledge Mapping in the Glass Recycling
Industryby Hugh McCoach
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Why Glass Recycling?

• Knowledge transfer from US (Clean Washington
  Centre)
• Market development ReMaDe WRAP
• Development of glass recycling industry
• Variety of end markets
• End markets developed to various degrees
• Many primary and secondary organisations affect
  the industry
• Increasing legislative / regulatory measures
  being introduced helping increase industries
  drive towards sustainability
• Increasing Complex Industry!!!
• Increasing need within the industry for
• Qualitative knowledge
• Up to the minute knowledge
• How do we get this????

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Glass Recycling Sustainable Industry!

• The energy saving from recycling one bottle will
• Power a 100 watt light bulb for almost an hour
• Power a colour TV for 20 minutes
• Raw material savings, reducing the need for
  quarrying of raw materials and therefore
  conserving the countryside
• Savings in emissions from furnace
• Saves valuable landfill space which is fast
  running out!
• Greater employment
• Creates public awareness
• Glass is 100 recyclable and can be endlessly
  recycled with no loss in quality
• industry becoming recognised within government
  as a leading industry in sustainability issues
  and as such was chosen by the Department of
  Industry (DTI) to pilot the Governments Strategy
  for Sustainable Consumption and Production
• Source British Glass, Glass Recycling Report
  2004 Towards Sustainable Development, 2004

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Glass Recycling Industry

• From all sectors the UK produces an estimated 2.8
  million tonnes of glass per annum, with a
  saleable value of approximately 1,500M
• Glass packaging accounts for majority of glass in
  waste stream
• 2.3M Tonnes per annum of glass packaging in waste
  stream
• UK currently recycles 35 of this waste glass
• Colour inbalance of glass collected and produced
  in the UK
• Issues with end markets

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Market Variability
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Glass Recycling IndustryScoping Project Focus

• Three Stages
• Survey Glass Recycling Industry
• Desk top survey
• Questionnaire
• Interviews
• Mapping knowledge
• Road Map
• Knowledge Map
• Web-based resource tool

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Glass Industry Road / Process Map Structure
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Road / Process Map Hyperlink
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Knowledge Map Structure
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Knowledge Map Hyperlink

• Glass Collection Senior Management
• Understanding of Industry Dynamics
• Who Senior Management
• What They need an understanding as to how the
  various factors which influence the industry
  such as legislation, regulations, industry
  targets, media and supply / demand affect the
  industry and how this in turn affects their own
  organisation.
• To do this they must also understand the nature
  and size of their own organisation.
• Where This is at the very early stage of the
  process and is often at the conceptual stage or
  where they may have heard of a particular
  opportunity to expand or develop their business.
  
• When This may either be when the companys
  looking to diversify or when their demand for
  glass increases perhaps due to end market
  opportunities.
• Importance 1 2 3 ?
• Success 1 2 3 ?
• Reasons
• Recycling in general is in relatively early
  stages in the UK. This has led to many
  organisations entering the market at an early
  stage where regulatory drivers and legislation
  are being developed, which has led to a grass
  roots level of understanding of how the industry
  changes.
• The introduction of organisations such as Remade
  Scotland, WRAP, SEPA, DEFRA and industry
  associations have helped support the uptake of
  any changes affecting the industry.

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Reasons for Varying Utilisation of Knowledge

• Scepticism of technical performance
• Unsure of commercial viability
• Unaware of new research
• No programme of in-house research development
• Commercial Confidentiality
• Knowledge in a foreign language
• Industry specifications may prohibit use of
  certain materials
• Company may have separate internal divisions
  which dont necessarily work closely together
  lack of communication!

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Findings

• Importance of knowledge (Tacit / Explicit) as a
  company asset varied between organisations
• Comfort zone
• Competitors can play down impacts of new products
  and muddy opinion within the industry
• Larger organisation placed greater emphasis on
  knowledge management and provided greater
  opportunities for staff development
• Also, provided measures to retain / develop
  knowledge such as communities of practice or
  shadow-working. Documenting key research and
  findings is also encouraged
• Most organisations stressed cost as the biggest
  influence in the decision making process but
  would utilise knowledge of SUE where practical
  and if it would give them a competitive edge
• Increased support in identifying Good Practice
  would be welcome and help further influence their
  decision making process with regards to the SUE

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For further information on any of the topics
discussed please contact Hugh McCoach The
Sustainability Centre in Glasgow Glasgow
Caledonian University City Campus Cowcaddens
Road Glasgow, G4 0BA Tel [phone] E-mail
h.mccoach_at_gcal.ac.uk Web-site
www.sustainabilitycentre.org
Thank You