The quantitative eco-efficiency measurement for small and medium enterprise: A case study of wooden toy industry

Abstract

Eco-efficiency is a tool for the analysis of the sustainability of industries, which indicates the economic relationship and environmental impact. This research presents the development of eco-efficiency indicators for quantitative measurement of the wooden toy industry, as well as the raw material suppliers who are a part of the supply chain. The eco-efficiency of the wooden toy industry was measured by using the key indicators of the three axes of sustainable development, which are (i) economic indicator: net sale and gross margin, (ii) environmental indicator: material, energy, water consumption, waste disposal, and (iii) social indicator: frequency rate of accidents, local employment, and corporate social responsibility. Moreover, the combined eco-efficiency evaluation of the supplier and company showed that the company's eco-efficiency has likely increased during 2 years of observation, while the eco-efficiency of the supplier-company combination has decreased. The evaluation of socioeco- efficiency results showed that the company has acquired a socially supportive management system at the company level, community level, and social level. This research can contribute to the improvement of the resource and process efficiencies in economic, environmental, and social dimensions. It can also provide a basic framework on eco-efficiency evaluation for the small and medium enterprises in Thailand, which will feed into policy and strategic development. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.