Applying Industrial Ecology to Industrial Parks: An Economic and Environmental Analysis

Abstract

Industrial ecology (IE) is an emerging framework for characterizing relationships between businesses and analyzing their economic and environmental performance. By applying the principles of IE, members of eco-industrial parks (EIPs) pursue improvements in their economic efficiency while reducing the environmental burden of their production activities. This article discusses the potential of EIPs for improving economic and environmental performance and presents a methodology for developing and analyzing potential EIPs. The methodology is applied to a prototype EIP based on companies in Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, Mexico. The potential for improved economic performance can be an important draw for public and private developers trying to populate an EIF, and this study shows that these benefits are attainable. We conclude with a discussion of the conditions necessary for successful EIPs in the United States.