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Using wastes as raw materials: Opportunities to create an industrial ecology.Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Materials 10(3
, 1993
"... More than 12 billion tons of industrial waste (wet basis) are generated annually in the United States (EPA, 1988a,b; Allen and Jain, 1992). Municipal solid waste, which includes post-consumer wastes, is generated at a rate of 0.2 billion tons per year (EPA, 1990). When these material flows are compa ..."
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More than 12 billion tons of industrial waste (wet basis) are generated annually in the United States (EPA, 1988a,b; Allen and Jain, 1992). Municipal solid waste, which includes post-consumer wastes, is generated at a rate of 0.2 billion tons per year (EPA, 1990). When these material flows are compared to the annual output of the top 50 commodity chemicals (0.3 billion tons per year; Chemical and Engineering News, 1993), it is apparent that wastes should not be ignored as a potential resource. As a potential resource, however, industrial waste streams are significantly underutilized. Virtually all industrial waste that is designated as non-hazardous is sent to surface impoundments or landfills. Recycling rates for hazardous wastes are also quite low and tend to focus on solvents and metals (Baker et al., 1992). It could be argued that these low rates of material reuse are due to the inherently low value of the materials in the waste streams, however, after examining detailed data on the composition of industrial hazardous waste streams, my research group has concluded that many waste streams really are potential raw materials that are significantly underutilized. In a study focussed primarily on metals, we determined that many materials are present in waste stream at concentration levels that should allow near complete recovery. Yet, as shown in Table 1,
What Gets Recycled: An Information Theory Based Model for Product Recycling
"... This work focuses on developing a concise representation of the material recycling potential for products at endof life. To do this we propose a model similar to the "Sherwood Plot", but for products rather than for dilute mixtures. The difference is reflected in the material composition ..."
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This work focuses on developing a concise representation of the material recycling potential for products at endof life. To do this we propose a model similar to the "Sherwood Plot", but for products rather than for dilute mixtures. The difference is reflected in the material composition and the processing systems used for the two different applications. Cost estimates for product recycling systems are developed using Shannon's information theory. The resulting model is able to resolve the material recycling potential for a wide range of end-of-life products with vastly different material compositions and recycling rates in the U.S. Preliminary data on historical trends in product design suggest a significant shift toward less recyclable products.
186 OUR COMMON JOURNEY
"... The goals for a transition toward sustainability, as we set them outin Chapter 1, are to meet human needs over the next two genera-tions while reducing hunger and poverty and preserving our envi-ronmental life support systems. The activities to approach this goal can only move ahead within the const ..."
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The goals for a transition toward sustainability, as we set them outin Chapter 1, are to meet human needs over the next two genera-tions while reducing hunger and poverty and preserving our envi-ronmental life support systems. The activities to approach this goal can only move ahead within the constraints set by resources and the environ-ment. Many people have argued that, unless we make dramatic changes in our human enterprises, the development needed to meet future human needs risks damaging the life-support capabilities of the earth—which in turn would of course prevent society from meeting its goals. In this chapter, we therefore ask two related questions: • What are the greatest threats that humanity will encounter as it attempts to navigate the transition to sustainability? • What are the most promising opportunities for avoiding or circum-venting these threats on the path to sustainability? Our object is not to predict what environmental damages might be caused by development at particular times and places—a largely futile activity for all but the most specific and immediate development plans. Rather, it is to highlight some of the most serious environmental obstacles that might be met in plausible efforts to reach the goals outlined in Chap-ter 1 and along development paths such as those explored in Chapters 2 and 3, to take timely steps to avoid or circumvent these obstacles.1 This chapter begins with a brief discussion of the approaches and issues we considered in scouting the environmental hazards that societies may confront. We then turn to efforts to assess the relative severity of
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"... Scientists, policy-makers, and the general public are becoming increasingly aware of environmental damage associated with large and growing material through-put required in modern industrial society. One approach emerging in response to these concerns is called Industrial Ecology (IE). IE signals a ..."
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Scientists, policy-makers, and the general public are becoming increasingly aware of environmental damage associated with large and growing material through-put required in modern industrial society. One approach emerging in response to these concerns is called Industrial Ecology (IE). IE signals a shift from "end-of-pipe " pollution control methods towards holistic strategies for prevention and planning of more environmentally sound industrial development. However, the broad umbrella of IE currently houses a diverse group of scholars, consultants, and environmentalists who range in scope from those advocating incremental changes in existing systems, to some promoting a total transformation of industrial activity. This article will present a critical review of the existing U.S. literature on IE. We will introduce and critique IE's primary concepts and analyze weaknesses and "holes " in IE's conceptual framework. We will also discuss the needs and potential for advancing Industrial Ecology concepts and projects in the future.
