Industrial Ecology

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What is Industrial Ecology?

Industrial systems work on the idea that raw materials (energy, water, minerals, etc.) are used (inputs), and products and wastes are produced (outputs). Industrial ecology tries to change that linear style system to mimic natural ecosystems.

In nature there is no waste – everything is re-used or recycled by naturally occurring processes. Industrial ecology tries to copy natural systems and make the most use of inputs to minimize waste. Where waste is produced, the goal is to find other companies or processes that can use that waste as energy or as raw material to create another product. It’s expensive to create, manage and dispose of waste, and it’s a lost opportunity to create a marketable commodity.

Industrial ecology descriptions will often contain one or more of these characteristics:

• A systems view of the interactions between industrial and ecological systems
• The study of material and energy flows and transformations
• A multidisciplinary approach
• An orientation towards the future
• A change from linear (open) processes to cyclical (closed) processes, so the waste from one industry is used as an input for another
• An effort to reduce the industrial systems’ environmental impacts on ecological systems
• An emphasis on harmoniously integrating industrial activity into ecological systems
• Creating industrial systems to emulate more efficient and sustainable natural systems
• Making environmental factors an integral part of economic and business decision-making.

Is this a new idea?

Industrial ecology is an emerging field. It’s a new way to deal with environmental problems, and develop new industrial park complexes. Jay Forrester from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was one of the first people to look at problem solving using a systems approach and looking at the world as a series of interconnected systems. (Principles of Systems, 1968, and World Dynamics, 1971: Cambridge, Wright-Allen Press). Others followed his lead, building and defining other concepts associated with industrial ecology.

The term “industrial ecology” comes from “industrial ecosystems” – the topic of an article written by Robert Frosch and Nicholas Gallopoulos in 1989 entitled, ”Strategies for Manufacturing”, (Scientific American 261; September 1989, 144-152). Their ideal industrial system would function in the same way as a biological system where there is no waste; everything is re-used or recycled by naturally occurring processes.

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