Sustainable development has emerged as a powerful force that is reshaping the policies and practices of global manufacturing firms. The principle of sustainability states that as we strive for economic prosperity and growth, we must not compromise the quality of life for our descendants. For corporations, seeking sustainability involves designing environmentally and socially responsible technologies, products, and processes with a full awareness of their life cycle costs and benefits. The concept of industrial ecology (IE) provides a useful systems perspective to support sustainable development while assuring shareholder value creation. IE is a broad, holistic framework for guiding the transformation of industrial systems from a linear model to a closed-loop model that resembles the cyclical flows of ecosystems. In particular, the field of green chemistry represents an important set of design strategies for achieving the goals of IE through fundamental innovations.
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