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.

Pollution Prevention is synonymous with Cleaner Production (CP) and mainly used in the US. It stands for “source reduction,” as defined under the United States Pollution Prevention Act, and other practices that reduce or eliminate the creation of pollutants through increased efficiency in the use of raw materials, energy, water, or other resources, or protection of natural resources by conservation. The Pollution Prevention Act defines “source reduction” to mean any practice which:

• reduces the amount of any hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant entering any waste stream or otherwise released into the environment (including fugitive emissions) prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal; and
• reduces the hazards to public health and the environment associated with the release of such substances, pollutants, or contaminants.

The term includes: equipment or technology modifications, process or procedure modifications, reformulation or redesign or products, substitution of raw materials, and improvements in housekeeping, maintenance, training, or inventory control. See http://www.epa.gov/p2/ for more information.