Industrial Ecology: Policy Potential and Research Needs

Abstract

Over the past decade, a new approach to environmental analysis has developed. Although the scope and definition are not yet completely fixed, the new field of "industrial ecology" focuses on reducing the environmental impacts of goods and services, on systems-based analysis of environmental problems, and on innovations that can significantly improve environmental performance. Industrial ecology has significant potential for U.S. environmental policy. But to establish a firm foundation for significant policy initiatives, there is a need for better understanding of the potential and limitations of a range of promising approaches including: (a) technological innovation, (b) voluntary and cooperative approaches to environmental management, (c) substitution of services for products, (d) recycling and reuse, (e) reduction in the amounts of materials used in products, and (f) substitution of scarce resources with those that are plentiful.