Page 41 - Hojnik, Jana. 2017. In Persuit of Eco-innovation. Drivers and Consequences of Eco-innovation at Firm Level. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 41
Eco-innovation 41
mobility schemes, car sharing and environmental services, waste manage-
ment, environmental consulting). In summary, product eco-innovation
tends to use less or non-polluting/toxic materials (using environmental-
ly friendly material); improving and designing environmentally friendly
packaging (e.g., less paper and plastic material used) for existing and new
products; recovery of a company’s end-of-life products and recycling; and
using eco-labeling (Chiou et al. 2011; Ar 2012). Product eco-innovation
also consists of development of new eco-products through new technolo-
gies to simplify their packaging, construction and components, with the
goal of easily recycling their components and easily decomposing their
materials, followed by development of new eco-products through new
technologies to avoid the use of processed materials and instead use nat-
ural materials and reduce of waste and damage by waste as much as possi-
ble with as litte use of energy as possible (Cheng and Shiu 2012). Chassa-
gnon and Haned (2014, p: 3) argue that product eco-innovation requires
the development of new eco-friendly goods or services, such as products
free of harmful chemicals (e.g., phosphates or solvents).
Process eco-innovation
The main characteristics that define process innovations are reduction of
material use, lower risk and cost savings as a result (EIO 2013a). Further-
more, OECD (2005) defined process innovation in general as implemen-
tation of a new or significantly improved production or delivery meth-
od. This includes significant changes in techniques, equipment and/or
software (OECD 2005). Rennings et al. (2006) argue that environmental
process innovations comprise or are commonly subdivided into end-of-
pipe technologies and cleaner production technologies (i.e., innovation
in integrated technologies). In more detail, end-of-pipe technologies re-
duce the impact of pollution at the end of the production process without
modifying it, while cleaner technologies imply a change in the produc-
tion process, such as the use of an alternative process that is less harm-
ful to the environment than the conventional one or a reduction of in-
put (Chassagnon and Haned 2014). Process eco-innovation, according to
Dong et al. (2013), is not limited to explicit environmental performance
(reduction of clean production cost and decrease of the pollutant emis-
sion in order to achieve compliance with environmental regulations) but
also encompasses the tacit environmental performance (i.e., increase of
resource utilization and pollution protection). According to Cheng and
Shiu (2012) eco-process innovations refer to the introduction or manu-
facturing of processes that lead to a reduction of environmental impact,
mobility schemes, car sharing and environmental services, waste manage-
ment, environmental consulting). In summary, product eco-innovation
tends to use less or non-polluting/toxic materials (using environmental-
ly friendly material); improving and designing environmentally friendly
packaging (e.g., less paper and plastic material used) for existing and new
products; recovery of a company’s end-of-life products and recycling; and
using eco-labeling (Chiou et al. 2011; Ar 2012). Product eco-innovation
also consists of development of new eco-products through new technolo-
gies to simplify their packaging, construction and components, with the
goal of easily recycling their components and easily decomposing their
materials, followed by development of new eco-products through new
technologies to avoid the use of processed materials and instead use nat-
ural materials and reduce of waste and damage by waste as much as possi-
ble with as litte use of energy as possible (Cheng and Shiu 2012). Chassa-
gnon and Haned (2014, p: 3) argue that product eco-innovation requires
the development of new eco-friendly goods or services, such as products
free of harmful chemicals (e.g., phosphates or solvents).
Process eco-innovation
The main characteristics that define process innovations are reduction of
material use, lower risk and cost savings as a result (EIO 2013a). Further-
more, OECD (2005) defined process innovation in general as implemen-
tation of a new or significantly improved production or delivery meth-
od. This includes significant changes in techniques, equipment and/or
software (OECD 2005). Rennings et al. (2006) argue that environmental
process innovations comprise or are commonly subdivided into end-of-
pipe technologies and cleaner production technologies (i.e., innovation
in integrated technologies). In more detail, end-of-pipe technologies re-
duce the impact of pollution at the end of the production process without
modifying it, while cleaner technologies imply a change in the produc-
tion process, such as the use of an alternative process that is less harm-
ful to the environment than the conventional one or a reduction of in-
put (Chassagnon and Haned 2014). Process eco-innovation, according to
Dong et al. (2013), is not limited to explicit environmental performance
(reduction of clean production cost and decrease of the pollutant emis-
sion in order to achieve compliance with environmental regulations) but
also encompasses the tacit environmental performance (i.e., increase of
resource utilization and pollution protection). According to Cheng and
Shiu (2012) eco-process innovations refer to the introduction or manu-
facturing of processes that lead to a reduction of environmental impact,
