Industrial Ecology

Industrial Ecology (IE) is the systematic study of how materials and energy flow within our current linear industrial production systems and interact with the environment and human communities. IE seeks to redesign those conventional systems and move towards more circular, regenerative ones, by providing the framework to explore a wide array of novel ideas such as circular economy, zero waste, industrial symbiosis, life cycle analysis, biomimicry, and cradle-to-cradle design. By comparing and contrasting these principles against traditional industrial practices, student gain a better understanding of how to shift to more sustainable, equitable, and environmental benign management systems.