According to the APO Productivity Databook 2020, the manufacturing sector contributes significantly to the GDP of both developed and developing APO members. Manufacturing is also a major driving force behind productivity growth in most Asian countries. One of the needs of SMEs in this sector is to remain competitive and resilient in volatile market conditions without compromising on quality, value, and price. However, the widening demand–supply gap in natural resources and increasing environmental concerns such as pollution, climate change, waste generation, etc. directly challenge enterprise business growth and lower profit margins. Today, SMEs need to identify and implement solutions resulting in transparency of material flows, elimination of processes or activities that consume resources without creating value, and streamlining of business operations.

To address these issues, the APO organized a workshop on Waste Management in Manufacturing SMEs through MFCA and Lean, 24–26 November, in partnership with the National Productivity Council of India. The workshop included sessions on the concept of MFCA and lean for waste management, the use of Industry 4.0 technologies for MFCA and lean, standard frameworks related to MFCA, and the experience of APO demonstration projects in India on the topic of waste management.

Forty-six participants from 13 member countries attended this virtual workshop. There were four resource persons, one each from Japan and Malaysia and two from India, delivering presentations related to waste minimization and management.