Sustainability of natural rubber processing can be improved: A case study with crepe rubber manufacturing in Sri Lanka

Rubber based products are essential commodities in the present day market. Natural rubber, being renewable with its unique qualities, plays a critical role in rubber product manufacture. Most natural rubber are produced in tropical Asian countries and their processing seems to be material- and energy-intensive hence challenged by cost-ineffectiveness and various environmental issues. Based on a case study of a Sri Lankan crepe rubber factory with a novel methodology, this study aimed at improving natural rubber processing sector to be more cost-efficient and eco-friendly. This methodology consisted of three phases: 1. quantification of factory's resource use, economic loss, and greenhouse gas emissions using material flow analysis (MFA), material flow cost accounting (MFCA) and life cycle assessment (LCA), 2. developing proposals of viable improvement options, 3. benefit validation of the suggested improvement options for confident implementations. The results indicated that the economic losses and greenhouse gas emissions generated by processing 1 MT of dry rubber were LKR 18,151 and 254.2 kg CO2e, respectively. As improvement options, water, chemical, electricity reduction measures were proposed. Application of these options could reduce 45.59 MT of water and 542.8 kWh of electricity per 1 MT of dry rubber, resulting 26% and 79% drops in economic losses and greenhouse gas emissions, respectively. The findings and the research methodology reported here are significantly beneficial in introducing a sustainable manufacturing model not only to natural rubber processing industry but also to other similar manufacturing industries based in developing countries.