Use of artificial intelligence in cleanerproduction proposalsAbstract. - This paper aims to present a critical essay on the importance of artificial intelligence forcompanies' future, its objective of leaving a positive ecological footprint, and rewarding the use of naturalresources spent by industries. Humanity has made life easier for everyone with technological advances; forthis reason, with the proper research of accurate data, a prediction can be given of the savings and othereconomic and social benefits companies will obtain with artificial intelligence for cleaner production.Keywords: Cleaner production, industry 4.0, harnessing, big data, artificial intelligence. ISSN-E: 2737-6419Athenea Journal, Vol. 4, Issue 11, (pp. 7-14)Bravo B. et al. Use of artificial intelligence in cleaner production proposalsCamila Arahí Bravo Britohttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5527-6264camila.bravo.brito@udla.edu.ecUniversidad de las AméricasQuito, EcuadorResumen: El propósito de este trabajo es presentar un ensayo crítico sobre la importancia de la inteligenciaartificial para el futuro de las empresas y su objetivo de dejar una huella ecológica positiva, premiando el usode los recursos naturales que han sido gastados por las industrias. La humanidad ha hecho la vida más fácilpara todos con los avances tecnológicos; por esta razón, con la investigación adecuada de datos realesconsultados, se puede dar una predicción de los ahorros y otros beneficios económicos y sociales que lasempresas obtendrán con la inteligencia artificial para una producción más limpia.Palabras clave: Producción más limpia, industria 4.0, aprovechamiento, big data, inteligencia artificial. Uso de la inteligencia artificial en propuestas de producción más limpia7Received (13/08/2022), Accepted (05/01/2023)Darren Albert Moreira Cedeñohttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0241-5811darren.moreira@udla.edu.ecUniversidad de las AméricasQuito, EcuadorCristina Salomé Toapanta Nevadahttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9222-0593cristina.toapanta@udla.edu.ecUniversidad de las AméricasQuito, EcuadorNicole Germania Toapanta Sandovalhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-4962-3738nicole.toapanta@udla.edu.ecUniversidad de las AméricasQuito, EcuadorCarlos Joel Yanez Moraleshttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8339-2059carlos.yanez.morales@udla.edu.ecUniversidad de las AméricasQuito, Ecuadorhttps://doi.org/10.47460/athenea.v4i11.49
I. INTRODUCTION The environment is precious, and its care and protection must be constantly encouraged using all possibletools. All the objects found on the planet come from nature, so taking care of them is essential. For thisreason, the implementation of artificial intelligence as a cleaner production proposal is applied in differentsectors to improve them, the environment one of them, due to the high technology implemented to protectthe other natural resources necessary for life. Currently, natural resources are being depleted, but as time passes, tools have also been developed that arebased on artificial intelligence and that, as far as possible, delay the depletion of these resources and theeffects they entail. Moreover, while the development of technologies has inevitable negative consequences forthe planet, the advancement of these technologies has also brought benefits. An example of the impact that artificial intelligence has had on the environment has been smart agriculture.The implementation of automated data collection has made it possible to detect problems in crops (in earlystages) and know the optimal time of planting, irrigation, and fertilization, allowing greater efficiency incontrolling resources such as water, pesticides, and fertilizers. On the other hand, the use of artificialintelligence has been put into practice in respective problems to reduce air pollution with the creation of eco-driving algorithms, route optimization, and decrease urban transport traffic, as well as the establishment ofintelligent traffic lights, capable of reducing the driving time by adjusting traffic flow. Thus, it can be determined that using artificial intelligence in cleaner production proposals provides new andmore innovative solutions that allow us to fight many threats, such as climate change, pollution, and the healthof the planet's waters.II. Elements that prevent the creation of proposals for cleaner production inindustry 4.0. The environmental impact generated throughout history by the industrial sector is already quite studied andknown, so implementing preventive or corrective actions is increasingly practiced by different companies thataccept or encourage a positive environmental culture. This brings us to industry 4.0, which radically changeshow some industries operate, making them more efficient and, directly or indirectly, reducing theenvironmental impact. Industry 4.0 can be seen as the combination of advanced production techniques and intelligent technologiesimplemented in all organizations. The processes that are part of the value creation chain are connectedthrough a digital network. [1]. And in a certain way, some factors limit the use or implementation of industry4.0 and are similar to those that restrict the creation of more ecological proposals within this industry. Economy The economic factor is a significant gap in implementing new technologies, which limits a little more toindustry 4.0. Although investments can be made in technological systems, increasing investment in proposalsconsidering the ecological impact generated has yet to be considered. 8ISSN-E: 2737-6419Athenea Journal, Vol. 4, Issue 11, (pp. 7-14) Bravo B. et al. Use of artificial intelligence in cleaner production proposals
Culture Although industry 4.0 brings benefits in terms of reducing the environmental impact of certain activities, wemust also take into account the effect it has, such as the production of materials that are the physical inputs ofthe systems and the high energy expenditure generated by some hardware in different industries, but that isnot something as visible as the emission of CO2, It is often left aside, and there is no concern about theenvironmental impact of this industry. It should also be borne in mind that despite its advantages, energy consumption will always be necessaryand that traditional electricity will be dependent until some alternative is found, and this may be increasinglysignificant since the European Commission estimates that the energy footprint caused by technology isbetween 5% and 9% of world consumption [2]. B. Methods that prevent better use and use of cleaner production Bottled products According to Eco envases (2020), it is useless to consume bottled products. However, millions consumeplastic bottles produced yearly for product packaging, and not all are recycled worldwide to create newmaterials. On the other hand, most of these containers end up in landfill, which significantly impedes the useand use of cleaner production. In addition, the unnecessary use of oil to produce plastic containers affects theenvironment and the beings that inhabit it. Pesticides Although the damage caused to the environment and animals is known, millions of people use pesticides tocultivate gardens and eliminate insects. Today, numerous natural remedies allow to keep insects away andkeep the garden or plantations cared for naturally, without harming the environment or affecting living beings.That is, they encourage the use of cleaner production. Plastic waste Plastic waste has become part of everyday life, the same that can be easily found on roads, on the beach, inthe forest, in parks, and in water resources. This waste, over time, has created plastic islands in the oceans andseas, causing the poisoning of marine animals. Detergents and soaps The Environmental Working Group in the United States has developed a blacklist of cleaning products usedin homes that pose the most significant risks to health and the environment. Both detergents and soaps arenot recommended because they have an antibacterial chemical compound that can destroy water and havecatastrophic consequences for the marine environment and human health. Glass bottles and cans The most common waste on planet Earth is glass jars and cans. For one, glass jars can become small animaltraps, and sharp parts (such as broken glass bottles, aluminum cans, and steel cans) can cause injury to wildanimals. In addition, unfortunately, there is much waste of this type that is exposed to the air, and that takesdecades to decompose.9ISSN-E: 2737-6419Athenea Journal, Vol. 4, Issue 11, (pp. 7-14) Bravo B. et al. Use of artificial intelligence in cleaner production proposals
Cosmetics Many countries struggle to eliminate microcontaminants in cosmetic products, such as toothpaste and bodyscrubs. These tiny particles are not biodegradable, as they are made of polyethylene or polypropylene and,through sewers, reach seas, rivers, and lakes. Because of this, the danger has increased for fish and aquaticanimals that ingest the micro granules, thinking they are food. C. Big Data is a way to generate new proposals for cleaner production To know the viability of a project, it is essential to know the organization's current situation, which is whydata plays a vital role in understanding the benefits and waste reduction. Data is at the heart of digital transformation, and the revolution is in being able to capitalize on it, takeadvantage of the value it brings to understand better what is happening, and, above all, be able to predictwhat will happen and prescribe what should be done. This will allow the optimization and generation ofbusiness opportunities and new sources of income. There are several ways to collect data. However, they only sometimes treat this data correctly because of thelarge volumes, variety of sources, and the speed with which it is generated, known as Big Data. That is whyseveral computational solutions have been developed that allow the treatment of Big Data, such as thefollowing techniques to work with Big Data[3].10ISSN-E: 2737-6419Athenea Journal,Vol. 27, Núm. 118, (pp. 7-14) Fig. 1. Generation of new proposals through the application of Big Data By applying these techniques, we obtain information that, when interpreted correctly, allows correctdecision-making. Within a cleaner production project, costs can be reduced because the information isobtained from the workstations, which produce more waste and allows alternatives, such as the reuse ofmaterials that allows the best use of the raw material used in the industry. [4] An example is observed in theaeronautical sector through optimizing aircraft routes. In 2019, IATA estimated 188,000 million dollars in fuelconsumption in the global airline industry. Through the use of Big Data, it was possible to obtain data on theaircraft's speed and the influence of wind direction, with which they could establish the best routes with asaving of around 30 to 50 million dollars. [5] It is essential to highlight that this achievement also has anenvironmental impact by reducing the emission of CO2 into the environment. The application of Big Dataallows us to identify the material that hurts the environment due to the use of chemicals or the amount ofenergy needed to transform it, opening the opportunity to look for new ways to offer a similar product to themarket, optimizes the resources used in the process of adding value, which will allow the company to be moreattractive to another niche market.[6]Bravo B. et al. Use of artificial intelligence in cleaner production proposals
II. Artificial intelligence and new proposals for cleaner production. Environmental care, all the actions taken to reduce the deterioration of nature, has been affected mainly bythe various companies that exist worldwide. For this reason, with the growth of technology, industries havefound multiple ways to prevent pollution. One is artificial intelligence, the algorithms proposed to createmachines that can perform human actions [2]. Artificial intelligence indicates an era of enterprise digitaltransformation. Although the investment ranges from $ 20,000 to 1,000,000 dollars, the benefits generated bythis implementation are the reduction of operating costs, improved efficiency, and customer experience,which as a result, will obtain greater profitability [3]. It is estimated that by 2030, production will increase by16% using this intelligence [4]. That is to say that in the future, companies will be obliged to make use ofmachinery with this type of technology and thus maintain a solid competitive level. Companies are prone to various accidents, for example, fires. It is estimated that electrical fires cause 19% ofbusiness fires, that is, due to a lack of maintenance of cables, machinery, or electricity services. With artificialintelligence, the "B2FireDetection" tool has been created to calculate any fire risk that is about to occur with aminimum margin of error. In addition, it contains algorithms to monitor the status and behavior ofinfrastructures in extreme weather conditions [5]. In this way, this intelligence contributes to reducing thecarbon footprint and protecting assets. In Latin America, it is estimated that as of 2018, fires in companieshave increased by 8%. With AI, fires can be reduced to 90% due to their level of accuracy [6]. Food waste is a big problem for companies because it negatively impacts nature and generates significanteconomic losses in stores selling food and household products. For this reason, artificial intelligence has beendeveloped that analyzes any food to determine the exact period in which the food is no longer consumable[7]. This system can be effective in the food and beverage industries because production would achieve abalance in terms of waste, increasing food availability and reducing the wear and tear of natural resources. Globally, 1300 million tons of food are wasted. However, by implementing artificial intelligence, it can bereduced by up to 80% due to its level of accuracy [8]. As we know, electricity generation is a polluting factor, and using this energy produces high amounts ofgreenhouse gases that cause climate change when expelled into the atmosphere. That is why one of thepreventions for environmental care is to turn off devices that are not being used, which is not a habit amongfamilies. Consequently, artificial intelligence also helps us with this problem. Machines with algorithms havebeen created that can diagnose sleep stages by breathing users for automatic shutdown [9]. For companies,this type of machine will be advantageous since it would help reduce electricity costs and, at the same time,generate a tremendous ecological impact. This intelligence would help detect when the operator is not inplace, so the machinery would not be used. By using these machines, it would be possible to reduce at least5% of the current consumption [10]. We take the example that an Ecuadorian industrial SME has aconsumption of $ 250 per month. Therefore, by reducing the abovementioned percentage, the SME wouldsave $ 125. Finally, the use of artificial intelligence has a significant impact on companies and their way of carrying outnew business strategies that allow implementation of this machinery throughout the infrastructure so that, inthis way, optimal results are achieved, and the investment is reflected in greater profitability and even providedifferentiation with customers. The savings proposals of the machinery that have algorithms will save 80% inelectricity, economy, and waste savings. For this reason, companies have to adapt to the new realities of beingpart of this new era.11ISSN-E: 2737-6419Athenea Journal, Vol. 27, Núm. 118, (pp. 7-14)Bravo B. et al. Use of artificial intelligence in cleaner production proposals
III. RESULTS For this point, it will be considered a food company that makes natural juices, so it has a farm withplantations of the fruits it needs for its production, and on the other hand, it has its factory in which the fruitsare processed. Finally, the finished product, the bottled natural juice, comes out. For this cleaner productionplan, everything from plantation control to processing will be considered. Then, in the first place, big data willbe used to collect information from each fruit. That is, specific sensors will be implemented for each plantationto collect relevant data, such as the ripening time of the fruit and the amount of water it needs. With thisinformation, we can use artificial intelligence to program a system in which the data collected is taken intoaccount and automate the frequency of irrigation of the plantations. On the side of sustainability, this willminimize water consumption, allowing only the necessary amount to be used. On the side of business profit,the raw material will be in optimal condition. Then we will consider the logistics, for this essential data will be used to predict the demand for rawmaterials: the number of fruits needed for production. With this, it will be possible to program and plan theplanting of fruits with artificial intelligence, but it will also be possible to determine which fruits are alreadyready to be sent. By this, we mean that the fruits are already ripe, and the amount established by using bigdata is already available; With this information, you can schedule the transports and their frequency of themand minimize unnecessary transfers. On the sustainability side, there will be fewer transfers, which means lessenvironmental pollution, and the company will have fewer logistics costs. Finally, once the raw material is in the factory, big data will be used to recognize quality problems of the finalproduct and within the process, and the availability of the machines will also be recognized. In this way, theuse of these will be optimized. Furthermore, with artificial intelligence, the use of the devices will beprogrammed, so if one of them will not be used, it will remain off until its use is required. This reduces thecompany's energy consumption and expenditure. In conclusion, these measures will reduce the energy andwater consumption of the company's productive activity by optimizing processes using big data and artificialintelligence.CONCLUSIONS -Although the development of technologies related to big data entails inevitable negative consequences, itcannot be denied that it has allowed the creation of new and very good solutions for the implementation ofcleaner production proposals in the environment. -Data within organizations plays an important role because it allows to know the current situation of theprocesses, however,if the data are not treated appropriately, the information does not contribute to decisionmaking. For which it is recommended that organizations look for software that uses techniques, which adaptto their process and providing the visualization of management indicators that allow the continuousimprovement of the organization by identifying lossesin the production process. -The industrial future is also going towards automation and digitalization, which includes industry 4.0, inwhich many proposals can be made guided towards environmental care, so that both companies andgovernments will need to encourage proposals for cleaner production within the industry -The industry must necessarily be supported by sustainable development, that is, it must try to maintain abalance with the components that surround it, as well as humans, as well as the environment in which itdevelops its activities, and although technology has been a trigger for this balance to be affected, at present,Technology can also allow industries to improve their processes with an emphasis on caring for theenvironment. This care is achieved through cleaner production techniques that are backed by technologicaltools which allow a serene coexistence between economic activity and the environment that surrounds them. 12ISSN-E: 2737-6419Athenea Journal, Vol. 27, Núm. 118, (pp. 7-14)Bravo B. et al. Use of artificial intelligence in cleaner production proposals
13REFERENCES[1] Montega, "What is Industry 4.0 and what impact does it have on society and the environment?" Montega,25 October 2022. [Online]. Available: https://montega.es/blog/que-es-la-industria-4-0-y-que-impacto-tiene-en-la-sociedad-y-en-el-medioambiente/#:~:text=La%20Industria%204.0%20est%C3%A1%20teniendo,naturales%20y%20generar%20menos%20residuos.. [Accessed January 22, 2023].[2] J. Villaneau, "The environment, the next challenge of Industry 4.0," SCALIAN, 2023 July 2021. [Online].Available: https://www.scalian.com/es/newsroom/rse-es/el-medio-ambiente-el-proximo-desafio-de-la-industria-4-0/. [Accessed 25 01 2023].[3] M. Vaca and J. C. Vega, «dspacedirect.org,» June 2019. [Online]. Available: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://idl-bnc-idrc.dspacedirect.org/bitstream/handle/10625/57778/IDL-57778.pdf.[4] Caro Caro and Y. Norbey, "The impact of big data on ecology and environmental care in Colombia,"Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Bogotá, 2021.[5] C. Osorio, "Benefits and Uses of Big Data," Business and Labor, 2022. [Online]. Available:https://revistaempresarial.com/tecnologia/tendencias/beneficios-y-usos-del-big-data/. [Accessed January 23,2023].[6] F. Tejada, R. Murrieta, F. Villao and J. Garzon, Big Data in Education: Benefits and impact of data analytics.,Santa Elena: La Libertad: Universidad Estatal Península de Santa Elena, 2018. ISSN-E: 2737-6419Athenea Journal, Vol. 27, Núm. 118, (pp. 7-14)Camila Arahí Bravo Brito. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5527-6264. camila.bravo.brito@udla.edu.ecUniversidad de Las AméricasQuito, EcuadorDarren Albert Moreira Cedeñohttps://orcid.org/ 0000-0002-0241-5811darren.moreira@udla.edu.ecUniversidad de Las AméricasQuito, EcuadorCristina Salomé Toapanta Nevadahttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9222-0593 cristina.toapanta@udla.edu.ecUniversidad de Las AméricasQuito, EcuadorLOS AUTORESBravo B. et al. Use of artificial intelligence in cleaner production proposals
14ISSN-E: 2737-6419Universidad, Ciencia y Tecnología, Vol. 27, Núm. 118, (pp. 7-14)Nicole Germania Toapanta Sandovalhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-4962-3738nicole.toapanta@udla.edu.ecUniversidad de Las AméricasQuito, EcuadorCarlos Joel Yanez Moraleshttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8339-2059Carlos.yanez.morales@udla.edu.ecUniversidad de Las AméricasQuito, EcuadorBravo B. et al. Use of artificial intelligence in cleaner production proposals