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U N I D O G r e e n I ndu st r y
Figure 2: The evolution of sustainable manufacturing concepts and practices
Pollution Control
Treat
Implementation of non-essential technologies End-of-pipe solutions
Cleaner Production
Prevent
Modify products and production methods Process optimization; lower resource input and output. Substitution of materials: non-toxic and renewable
Eco-efficiency
Manage
Systematic environmental management Environmental strategies and monitoring, Environmental management systems
Life cycle Thinking
Expand
Extending environmental responsibility Green supply chain management, corporate social responsibility
Closed-loop production
Revitalise
Restructuring of production methods Minimising or eliminating virgin materials
Industrial Ecology
Synergise
Integrate systems of production Environmental partnerships, eco-industrial parks
(Source: OECD, 2010)
The realisation that industrial systems can mimic biological ecosystems, in which one organism’s waste is the source of food for another organism, has led to the concept of “industrial ecology”. One of the strengths of industrial ecology is its “systems” view of patterns of production, consumption, and resource recovery – all perceived in their context in natural systems. One of the basic principles of systems approaches like industrial ecology is that planning for greater resource efficiency and reduced pollution must be integrated across resource flows, economic sectors, public and private activities, and both short and long-term time horizons (ADB & IGES 2008).