Abstract
Transforming the use of materials in product manufacture from a linear to a cyclic mode is
the conceptual framework of industrial ecology (IE), a field about fourteen years old. The core
of industrial ecology—the industrial ecosystem model—has become a framework for studying
the interactions of the modern technological society with the environment. As an emerging
field, IE has grappled with challenges such as establishing itself as a unique field, gaining academic
merit, developing quality standards, and guiding applications in industrial operations.
Within the context of such challenges, distinct research branches have emerged: conceptual
framework studies, development of operational tools (e.g. design for environment), and systemic
studies (e.g. industrial symbiosis). The field began by conceptualizing industrial systems
and has now made the transition to gathering the data that characterize such systems. One
of the greatest challenges now facing IE is applying the knowledge gleaned from these endeavors
to defining and setting goals for sustainable technological activity and development.