Industrial Ecology essays

Industrial Ecology essays Throughout history we have used the Earths resources to fulfill our needs without thinking of the implications of this abuse. As a result, we are left with few resources and enormous amounts of waste. In order to stop this shortage of materials and this excess of garbage, numerous recycling ideas have been proposed. However, a new idea known as Industrial Ecology could revolutionize the awareness of recycling by placing human activities in a full-life cycle in which reuse can be profitable. The concept of industrial ecology should be considered as a change in the way industries manufacture products by thinking of the products life span as much larger and more profitable. This major change can be integrated effectively into many industries; the auto industry is a significant example. The supply of metals used in cars is running out, and their disposal results in hazardous materials, not to mention excess garbage that goes into landfills. The reusing and recycling of auto part s can cause a significant decrease in the industrys expenses. This idea seems very appealing. However, experts point out that there are several obstacles that stop the process and make it very difficult to implement. These obstacles include organizational, technical, economic, informative, regulatory and legal barriers that are enforced in the auto as well as other industries. However, there are ways of overcoming this obstacles and in fact, there is much to be gained in implementing these ecological policies in industrial settings, as proven by several examples such as containers and one-use cameras. Theoretically, Industrial Ecology provides the ideal solution to waste control and profit increase, but the barriers form a challenge for the implementation in the large-scale. In order to achieve these reorganization processes there must be an effort done by government, consumers and manufacturers. If manufacturers and engineers were to...