The Relationship between Cleaner Production and Industrial Ecology

Industrial ecology is an emerging concept for the promotion of environmentally sound manufacturing and consumption. It aims to balance industrial development with the sustainable use of natural resources including energy, materials, and the capacity of the environment to assimilate wastes and render valuable services. The widespread adoption of industrial ecology can be furthered by a critical review of current preventive activities in industry. This article reviews the role that current preventive environmental activities-known as cleaner production-could play in the implementation of industrial ecology. The article focuses on whether cleaner production in its present form is sufficient, in terms of breadth of both industrial activities (sources) and environmental concerns (impacts addressed), for achieving industrial ecology's core objectives. It is concluded that current cleaner production practices are not sufficient for achieving the ultimate goals of industrial ecology. Nevertheless, cleaner production practices and methodologies may evolve into useful instruments for the implementation of industrial ecology.