A review of the applicability of Environmental Management Systems in waste management in the medical sector of Zimbabwe.

Environmental Management Systems (EMS) are currently the cornerstone of achieving sustainability globally. Nevertheless, the question is applicability of EMS in the medical sector. Hence, the review focused on applicability of EMS in medical waste management Zimbabwe. EMS involves overall processes that facilitate reduction of dire impacts of company's activities while increasing performance. EMS framework consists of environmental policy, planning, implementation, checking, review and improvement stages. To examine applicability of EMS in management of medical sector waste, published secondary sources with information related to the topic were utilised. Analysis of strengths and opportunities of EMS was used as a base to examine its applicability in medical waste management. Zimbabwean medical sector consist of hospitals and primary healthcare facilities. Medical waste includes pathological, pharmaceutical, cytotoxic, radioactive, chemical, sharp, infectious and general waste. However, twenty-first century witnessed expansion of medical institutions to accommodate COVID-19 patients, resulting in generation of construction and demotion waste. Medical institutions in Zimbabwe are accountable for solid waste management at generation source although municipalities are responsible for conveying solid waste to landfills. Solid waste from medical sector is disposed through traditional strategies namely landfilling, incineration, open pits and open burning, resulting in water, air, and soil contamination. However, EMS can reduce quantity of solid waste disposed through waste reuse, recycle and recovery. Moreover, achievement of integrated approach, effective legislation, policies and inclusive participation in medical waste management is adopted through use of EMS. Therefore, EMS were utilised to develop an integrated sustainable medical waste management model to achieve sustainability.

Imperative: reducing the environmental impact of clinical laboratories.

Clinical laboratories are significant contributors to the environmental burden of the planet. They have been slow to address the issues with a few exceptions, but it is highly encouraging to see the current impetus and ambition in this direction. This paper describes some of these initiatives and provides the rationale as to why clinical laboratories should become sustainable. It also describes the economic and intangible benefits that labs will accrue in achieving sustainability.

Green Chemistry and Environmental Management Systems: Relationships, Synergies, Advantages and Barriers of Joint Implementation at Universities.

Environmental Management Systems (EMS) based on international standard ISO 14001 are recognized as a tool to improve the environment and the sustainability of organizations. Green Chemistry (GC) seeks to reduce the use and generation of hazardous substances in chemical processes. This paper studies the relationship between EMS based on ISO 14001 and GC. We have analysed their similarities, difficulties, advantages, and synergies that can be developed with a joint implementation in general and in particular on university campuses. The results show that both disciplines have in common the philosophy of Continuous Improvement in the Processes (CIP) and that their joint application is possible, since each principle of GC are related to, at least, one clause of ISO 14001. It is shown that this joint application to different university areas can generate benefits, such as the reduction of hazardous waste and the promotion of green purchases, which favour the environmental improvement of universities. However, there are problems in their joint application related to the lack of specific knowledge and the difficulty of identifying products manufactured following the criteria of GC. Furthermore, a case study in the San Jorge University showing that both disciplines can be treated together is shown. Results were the following: seven GC initiatives (proposed by a small group of GC students) were submitted to the EMS office; only one was considered nonviable and two were implemented, achieving two main goals: Reduction of the environmental impact of laboratories and promotion of green purchasing in the laboratories of San Jorge University.

IMPULSORES, BARRERAS Y BENEFICIOS PARA LA IMPLEMENTACIÓN DE SISTEMAS DE GESTIÓN AMBIENTAL EN INDUSTRIAS DE CALDAS, COLOMBIA1 / DRIVING FROCES, BARRIERS AND BENEFITS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN INDUSTRIES IN CALDAS, COLOMBIA

Objetivo: Identificar impulsores, barreras y beneficios en la implementación del Sistema de Gestión Ambiental -SGA- en empresas manufactureras del departamento de Caldas. Metodología: Este estudio aborda la evolución de la certificación ISO 14001 a nivel global y nacional, considerando las estadísticas de la encuesta ISO y los informes del Consejo Colombiano de Competitividad. Luego, presenta un análisis descriptivo para 16 empresas manufactureras de los sectores metalmecánico y alimentos y bebidas, localizadas en Caldas. Para su realización, se recolectó información primaria mediante entrevistas a los responsables del SGA en las industrias; se emplearon instrumentos metodológicos basados en los requisitos de la ISO 14001. Los resultados obtenidos fueron evaluados por sector y tamaño industrial, para identificar los niveles de cumplimiento del estándar y los principales impulsores, barreras y beneficios en su implementación. Resultados: Las estadísticas revelan que Colombia lidera la certificación ISO 14001 en América Latina; sin embargo, las tasas de adopción son relativamente bajas comparadas con países desarrollados. En Colombia, Santander tiene los mejores indicadores en certificación ISO 14001, mientras que Caldas ocupa la novena posición. Para las empresas evaluadas en Caldas, sólo el 25% estaba certificada en el estándar; se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas, con relación al tamaño industrial, en el nivel de implementación del estándar y en los impulsores, barreras y beneficios del SGA. Conclusiones: Los impulsores del SGA son los requerimientos legales y el acceso a mercados, en las grandes empresas evaluadas; la mejora de procesos y la producción sostenible, en las PYME. La principal barrera es el clima organizacional, en grandes empresas; mientras que el costo asociado, en las PYME. Las industrias evaluadas reconocen como beneficios del SGA una mayor satisfacción de partes interesadas; no obstante, su implementación se percibe más como un requerimiento de tipo 'obligatorio' y no como una estrategia voluntaria de mejoramiento.

Objective: To identify driving forces, barriers and benefits for the implementation of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) in manufacturing industries in the department of Caldas. Methodology: This study addresses an evolution of 14001 certifications at a global and national level considering ISO survey statistics and reports of the Colombian Council on Competitiveness. It also presents a descriptive analysis for 16 manufacturing industries of the metal-mechanic and food and beverage sectors located in the Department of Caldas. To achieve this goal, primary information was collected through interviews with those responsible for EMS in the industries using methodological instruments based on the requirements of ISO 14001 . The results obtained were evaluated according to sector and industry size, in order to identify levels of compliance with the standard and the key driving forces, barriers and benefits in its implementation. Results: Statistics shows that Colombia leads the ISO 14001 certification in Latin America. However, adoption rates are relatively low compared to developed countries. Nationwide, the Department of Santander has the best indicators regarding ISO 14001 certified companies, while the Department of Caldas ranks in the ninth position. For the companies evaluated in the Department of Caldas, only 25% were certified to the standard. Statistically significant differences, regarding the industry size, the standard implementation level and driving forces, barriers and benefits of EMS were found. Conclusions: EMS driving forces are the legal requirements and access to markets in the large companies evaluated and process improvement and sustainable production for SMEs. In large industries, the main barrier is the organizational climate, while in SMEs is the associated cost. The industries evaluated recognize greater stakeholders' satisfaction as EMS benefits but the certification implementation is perceived more as a "mandatory" requirement rather than as an improvement strategy.

The impact of regulatory complexity upon self-regulation: Evidence from the adoption and certification of environmental management systems.

This article focuses on environmental management systems (EMS) and aims to enhance our understanding of the relationship between environmental state regulation and self-regulation. Unlike previous studies that treat state regulation as uni-dimensional and focus on externally certified forms of environmental self-regulation, this article takes a more nuanced approach. It looks at how direct and indirect state regulation and its stringency influence both non-certified in-house and externally certified adoption of EMS. Methodologically, the study differentiates from previous research by acknowledging the interconnected nature of in-house and external certification decisions, viewing these decisions as sequential. Based on a survey of 2076 UK firms, findings show that effective environmental protection entails collaboration between environmental state regulation and in-house adoption of EMS. Results also reveal that externally certified EMS substitute for state environmental regulation, filling the void that results from weakening state regulation in the context of neoliberalism.

Characterization of post-disaster environmental management for Hazardous Materials Incidents: Lessons learnt from the Tianjin warehouse explosion, China.

Hazardous Materials Incidents (HMIs) have attracted a growing public concern worldwide. The health risks and environmental implications associated with HMIs are almost invariably severe, and underscore the urgency for sound management. Hazardous Materials Explosion incidents (HMEIs) belong to a category of extremely serious HMIs. Existing studies placed focuses predominately on the promptness and efficiency of emergency responses to HMIs and HMEIs. By contrast, post-disaster environmental management has been largely overlooked. Very few studies attempted to examine the post-disaster environmental management plan particularly its effectiveness and sufficiency. In the event of the Tianjin warehouse explosion (TWE), apart from the immediate emergency response, the post-disaster environmental management systems (P-EMSs) have been reported to be effective and sufficient in dealing with the environmental concerns. Therefore, this study aims to critically investigate the P-EMSs for the TWE, and consequently to propose a framework and procedures for P-EMSs in general for HMIs, particularly for HMEIs. These findings provide a useful reference to develop P-EMSs for HMIs in the future, not only in China but also other countries.

Exploring the link between institutional pressures and environmental management systems effectiveness: An empirical study.

Institutional theory has been widely debated by scholars. A part of literature examines how institutional pressures act on company choices regarding proactive environmental strategies. However, the institutional perspective has still not completely clarified the influence of these pressures on the effectiveness of environmental management systems (EMSs) in achieving goals in terms of eco-innovation, competitiveness and corporate reputation. This paper analyses the role played by coercive, mimetic and normative forces in stimulating innovative and competitive responses by firms with an environmental certification. Using the results of a survey on 242 European EMAS-registered organisations, the paper highlights the more positive influence of mimetic and normative pressures than coercive ones. The paper contributes to the literature debate on EMSs analysed through the lens of institutional theory.

As crenças ambientais de trabalhadores provenientes de empresa certificada por SGA podem predizer comportamentos pró-ambientais fora da empresa? / Can the environmental beliefs of workers from environmental certified companies predict their environmental behavior outside the organization?

A implantação e utilização de Sistemas de Gestão Ambiental (SGA) requer das empresas uma nova postura, uma mudança ambiental, sobretudo, na rotina de seus trabalhadores, em suas crenças ambientais e em seus comportamentos pró-ambientais fora da empresa. O presente artigo visa analisar as diferenças nas crenças ambientais, considerando a estrutura dicotômica antropocentrismo x ecocentrismo, em três grupos de trabalhadores brasileiros: provenientes de empresas certificadas por SGA (n = 232), não certificadas (n = 153) e não certificadas com política ambiental (n = 169). Ao mesmo tempo, se verificou o potencial preditor das crenças ambientais sobre os comportamentos pró-ambientais. Os resultados apontam que os trabalhadores que são de empresas não certificadas e não certificadas com política ambiental apresentam pontuações mais elevadas de crenças ambientais de tipo antropocêntricas. Além disto, se constatou que ser de uma empresa certificada e possuir crenças ecocêntricas são variáveis que possuem efeito explicativo sobre alguns fatores do comportamento pró-ambiental.(AU)

The implementation and utilization of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) requires new approach for the companies, and an environmental change, even in their workers routine, environmental beliefs and in their environmental behaviors outside the company. This paper aims to analyze the differences between the environmental beliefs, considering the dichotomy anthropocentrism x ecocentrism structure in three groups of Brazilian workers: from companies certified by an EMS (n = 232), non certified (n = 153) and non certified with environmental policy (n = 169). At the same time, we verified the potential of prediction of the environmental beliefs over the environmental behaviors. The results points out that the workers from companies non certified and non certified with environmental policy mostly presented high level of anthropocentric beliefs. Furthermore, being an EMS worker and presenting ecocentric beliefs can explain some of environmental behavior factor.(AU)

As crenças ambientais de trabalhadores provenientes de empresa certificada por SGA podem predizer comportamentos pró-ambientais fora da empresa? / Can the environmental beliefs of workers from environmental certified companies predict their environmental behavior outside the organization?

A implantação e utilização de Sistemas de Gestão Ambiental (SGA) requer das empresas uma nova postura, uma mudança ambiental, sobretudo, na rotina de seus trabalhadores, em suas crenças ambientais e em seus comportamentos pró-ambientais fora da empresa. O presente artigo visa analisar as diferenças nas crenças ambientais, considerando a estrutura dicotômica antropocentrismo x ecocentrismo, em três grupos de trabalhadores brasileiros: provenientes de empresas certificadas por SGA (n = 232), não certificadas (n = 153) e não certificadas com política ambiental (n = 169). Ao mesmo tempo, se verificou o potencial preditor das crenças ambientais sobre os comportamentos pró-ambientais. Os resultados apontam que os trabalhadores que são de empresas não certificadas e não certificadas com política ambiental apresentam pontuações mais elevadas de crenças ambientais de tipo antropocêntricas. Além disto, se constatou que ser de uma empresa certificada e possuir crenças ecocêntricas são variáveis que possuem efeito explicativo sobre alguns fatores do comportamento pró-ambiental.

The implementation and utilization of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) requires new approach for the companies, and an environmental change, even in their workers routine, environmental beliefs and in their environmental behaviors outside the company. This paper aims to analyze the differences between the environmental beliefs, considering the dichotomy anthropocentrism x ecocentrism structure in three groups of Brazilian workers: from companies certified by an EMS (n = 232), non certified (n = 153) and non certified with environmental policy (n = 169). At the same time, we verified the potential of prediction of the environmental beliefs over the environmental behaviors. The results points out that the workers from companies non certified and non certified with environmental policy mostly presented high level of anthropocentric beliefs. Furthermore, being an EMS worker and presenting ecocentric beliefs can explain some of environmental behavior factor.