How do they match: Industrial Ecologists

  • Product Development Ecologist
  • Product Life Cycle Planner
  • Life Cycle Manager

  • Apply principles and processes of natural ecosystems to develop models for efficient industrial systems. Use knowledge from the physical and social sciences to maximize effective use of natural resources in the production and use of goods and services. Examine societal issues and their relationship with both technical systems and the environment.

  • Conduct analyses to determine the maximum amount of work that can be accomplished for a given amount of energy in a system, such as industrial production systems and waste treatment systems.
  • Examine local, regional, or global use and flow of materials or energy in industrial production processes.
  • Identify environmental impacts caused by products, systems, or projects.
  • Identify or develop strategies or methods to minimize the environmental impact of industrial production processes.
  • Identify sustainable alternatives to industrial or waste-management practices.
  • Investigate the impact of changed land management or land use practices on ecosystems.
  • Plan or conduct field research on topics such as industrial production, industrial ecology, population ecology, and environmental production or sustainability.
  • Prepare plans to manage renewable resources.
  • Promote use of environmental management systems (EMS) to reduce waste or to improve environmentally sound use of natural resources.
  • Provide industrial managers with technical materials on environmental issues, regulatory guidelines, or compliance actions.
  • Recommend methods to protect the environment or minimize environmental damage from industrial production practices.
  • Redesign linear, or open-loop, systems into cyclical, or closed-loop, systems so that waste products become inputs for new processes, modeling natural ecosystems.
  • Review industrial practices, such as the methods and materials used in construction or production, to identify potential liabilities and environmental hazards.

  • Advise others about environmental management or conservation.
  • Develop plans to manage natural or renewable resources.
  • Monitor environmental impacts of production or development activities.