Industrial Ecology

Industrial Ecology is the science that examines the impact of industry and technology and associated changes in society and the economy on the biophysical environment. It examines local, regional and global uses and flows of materials and energy in products, processes, industrial sectors and economies and focuses on the potential role of industry in reducing environmental burdens throughout the product life cycle. The field encompasses a variety of related areas of research and practice, including:

• material and energy flow studies (“industrial metabolism”)
• dematerialization and decarbonization
• technological change and the environment
• life-cycle planning, design and assessment
• design for the environment (“eco-design”)
• extended producer responsibility (“product stewardship”)
• eco-industrial parks (“industrial symbiosis”)
•  product-oriented environmental policy
• eco-efficiency.