Eco‐design in total environmental quality management : Design for environment in milk‐products industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a methodology that may aid in assessing ecological quality multi‐trait screening through the use of simple and robust tools while exerting minimal effort in conducting trials and interpreting results. Design/methodology/approach – Response data for two popular site‐monitoring environmental indicators, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), are arranged by implementing an 8‐run saturated orthogonal array proposed by Taguchi. Unreplicated data consolidation is performed through the Super‐Ranking translation. This permits converting the two eco‐traits to a single master response which becomes much easier to manipulate statistically. Distribution‐free multi‐factor contrasting provides the data reduction engine to filter‐out non‐active eco‐design variables for a waste treatment unit in a large dairy‐products plant. Findings – Environmental quality improvement is achieved by accumulating structured eco‐data sets through an unreplicated‐saturated L 8 (2 7 ) Taguchi design. Concurrent minimization of the two selected eco‐responses, COD and BOD, promotes in a statistically significant fashion the quantity of incoming wastes, set at its minimum load, as the sole active eco‐factor. Practical implications – Brief but robust experimentation is exploited in gaining information about the phenomenological behavior of environmental quality indicators, namely COD and BOD, in facilities that manage wastewater treatment. Design for environment is enforced through standard DOE planning schemes. Collected multi‐metric eco‐quality data are translated non‐parametrically in an easy‐to‐comprehend manner that requires no assist from software aids while bypassing more statistical intensive techniques which may demand involvement of more experienced personnel. The methodology is accessible to any level of statistical competence seamlessly intertwined to optimization demands for rapid inference needs. Originality/value – The method mixes up three distinctive “design‐and‐analysis” elements in order to provide optimal solution in a design‐for‐environment project. The sampling capabilities of Taguchi's orthogonal arrays in concert with Super‐Ranking transformation fuse multi‐eco‐characteristics to a single easy‐to‐handle master unitless eco‐response. Order statistics tables recently published in terms of true probabilities have been adopted for supplying the proper cutoff points to be utilized for gauging against observed rank sums for an 8‐run orthogonal array screening. Quality managers and environmental engineers who contribute routinely to continuous eco‐improvement projects in their Total Environmental Quality Management (TEQM) program may find this approach attractive and viable en route to a typical industrial pollution prevention control deployment.