Industrial ecology
is a rapidly growing field that examines local, regional and
global materials and energy uses and flows in products, processes,
industrial sectors and economies.
It focuses on the potential role of industry in reducing environmental
burdens throughout the product life cycle. It looks at extraction
of raw materials, to the production of goods, to the use of
those goods and to the management of the resulting wastes. |
Industrial ecology:
- places industry in the larger
environment where we obtain resources and put our wastes
- looks to the natural world
for models of efficient use of resources, energy and by-products.
Industrial
ecology sees large companies as key players for sustainable
development. Large companies have the technological and economic
leverage to develop product and process design to encourage
sustainability. |
