Advancing sustainability in complex systems: integrating environmental strategy with statistical modelling

Abstract This paper explores the need for strategic ways to improve sustainability and reduce environmental impacts within the mining industry. It is about to catalyse social change through the promotion of interdisciplinary collaboration, community engagement, policy influence, and awareness-raising. The study emphasizes the negative environmental effects of employing residue instead of pure concentrate, including higher levels of heavy metal impurities like lead, zinc, nickel, arsenic, and cadmium. It also highlights the detrimental impacts on nearby agricultural land, sediments, and water bodies through thorough analytics, highlighting the necessity of taking preventative action. In this study, a statistical modelling tool is presented to adjust the parameters of the zinc manufacturing process. In order to address significant multi-collinearity, the paper uses statistical modelling techniques, specifically ridge regression, to identify important input-output factors in the zinc ingot process. Waste management is significantly improved and brought into compliance with environmental regulations by modifying process parameters under the direction of corporate environmental management tools. The results support the use of these tactics in mining operations to improve environmental sustainability. Through insights pertinent to academics, corporate managers, and professionals in the interdisciplinary field of environmental management and sustainability, this research adds to the conversation on balancing environmental concerns with industrial practices. The outcome highlights the extensive ramifications for neighbouring agricultural land, sediments, and aquatic bodies, which demonstrate the detrimental effects on local residents. This imperils not just the livelihoods of those who depend on agriculture but also the availability of clean water, which is critical to the health and welfare of the local populace. These results show the critical need for preventative actions to protect public health and conserve essential natural resources, underscoring the relationship between environmental sustainability and social welfare.