Back in the 1990’s there was a popular term being used called “industrial ecology (IE)”. Basically, IE is defined as a “systematic organizing framework for the many facets of environmental management. The industrial world was viewed as a natural system – a part of the local ecosystems and the global biosphere. IE offers a fundamental understanding of the value of modeling the industrial system on ecosystems to achieve sustainable environmental performance (Lowe, 1993). The IE ecosystem boundary included the raw materials grower or extractor, the materials processor or industrial manufacturer, the waste processer, and of course the consumer. The “value chain” of product manufacturing and the handing off of raw materials to manufacturer, and finished goods to consumer (i.e. the supply chain) can be viewed much the same way as IE.
To read the full, original article click on this link: “Industrial Ecology” Revisited: Its Place in the Green Economy & Supply Chain Management | The Energy Collective
Author: Dave Meyer
