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In additive manufacturing – which is also known as 3D printing – plastic waste is produced, for example in the form of required support structures or faulty prints. One option for resource recirculation in additive manufacturing is direct use in a pellet 3D printer that incorporates fused granulate fabrication (FGF). The elimination of the filament production process step reduces the manufacturing time and the energy required for recirculation.

Small batch sizes are a necessity in the textile industry due to the increasing diversification of products and end applications as well as short-term orders in networked value chains. At the same time, this involves a high level of configuration, planning, preparation and im-plementation. The costs increase disproportionately and are usually not directly quantifia-ble. In addition, sustainability considerations are now increasingly required. This article de-scribes an SME-suitable, simulation-based methodology for analyzing and configuring tex-tile manufacturing systems with regard to ecological and economic sustainability for small batch sizes in textile manufacturing and illustrates this using textile manufacturing in the weaving industry as an example.

The circular economy (CE) promises a more sustainable use of resources by managing products in a cycle and striving for a transformation from a linear to a circular supply chain. In particular, digital technologies as enablers for the circular economy have been increasingly researched and applied in practice in recent years. This article describes which digital technologies offer potential for increasing circularity in the production of circular photovoltaic (PV) systems.

More than 99% of German companies are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which therefore represent an important part of industrial supply chains. New regulations are increasing the pressure on companies to create transparency along the supply chain so that the role of SMEs is also coming into focus. However, they are often confronted with limited financial and human resources. Based on a quantitative survey and a literature review, this article deals with the question of what SME-friendly approaches could look like.

Industrial manufacturing offers a wide range of opportunities for a more ecologically compatible and socially just organization. Sustainability-oriented HR management can competently support industrial manufacturing companies in the design and implementation of sustainable manufacturing. It is important to integrate ecological, social and economic requirements into the respective areas of responsibility. In addition, employees must be motivated and qualified to adopt environmentally friendly working practices in order to be able to implement sustainable manufacturing in practice. Sustainable incentive systems and employee-oriented personnel management must also be taken into account.

This article describes how companies can accelerate the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a guideline, we propose the concept of corporate purpose. By focusing on the added value generated for stakeholders, a corporate purpose has a meaningful effect and provides orientation. As part of our research, a self-assessment was developed, which makes the status quo of corporate purpose in companies measurable.