The Greening of Industrial Ecosystems (1994) / Chapter Skim
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Implications of Industrial Ecology for Firms
Implications of Industrial Ecology for Firms
Pages 201-207
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From page 201... ...
We are beginning to see instead a shift in industry and government toward a broader concept of pollution preventionbeyond the manufacturing process to encompass environmental concerns and pollution prevention throughout the life cycle of a product, from acquisition of raw material to ultimate disposal (Figure 1~. In leading firms, the concept of product life cycle management is being formalized in Design for Environment (DFE)
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From page 202... ...
Attention must also focus on optimizing material flows and integrating the life cycles of diverse products, so that waste streams from one activity become the raw material for another. Such changes will require radical transformation in industrial practices and relationships.
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From page 203... ...
To capture environmental considerations throughout the product life cycle, the program must reach out and link many corporate functions, which may not have been traditionally involved in environmental issues. For example, the program must influence the product development process at a point where the selection of alternative materials is feasible and not cost prohibitive; extend to purchasing in order to shape the activities of suppliers; incorporate input from enviromental, legal, and regulatory experts; solicit the input of marketing to monitor customer requirements and expectations; and tap into technical assistance departments to provide environmental services to customers.
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From page 204... ...
To help business units identify problem areas and opportunities to improve the environmental performance of products, corporate staff developed two tools, a self-evaluation survey and a life cycle model for product responsibility. The life cycle model outlines activities and issues for business units to consider, such as minimizing the use of toxics in products or processes, incorporating reusable and recyclable materials in products, and identifying opportunities for product and package recycling by customers.
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From page 205... ...
Therefore, the program must provide for periodic evaluation of products and opportunities for continuous environmental improvements. FUTURE CHALLENGES As firms adjust their management practices and decision-making processes to meet the challenges of managing product life cycles rather than pollution sources, they begin to create an atmosphere in which movement toward a closed industrial ecosystem is possible.However, current efforts of U.S.
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From page 206... ...
Environmental Protection Agency fEPAl, 1990, 19921. In addition, since company efforts focus on activities in which they derive economic benefits, realization of industrial ecology goals will necessitate getting less profitable ventures on the corporate agenda: for example, recycling of materials and wastes that have little value; providing services to small, dispersed customers; and
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From page 207... ...
Existing regulations must also be examined to eliminate unnecessary or inappropriate banners, such as hazardous waste regulations that might discourage the take-back of chemical products by suppliers or antitrust regulations that limit industrial cooperation. Setting future environmental priorities and goals in both the private and the public sector also will be facilitated by the further development of analytical methods, such as life cycle analysis, that better capture the true and total life cycle impacts of products and processes on the environment.
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