Allocation
A method for dividing environmental inputs and outputs between multiple products or functions.
A to Z definitions
Industrial Ecology Glossary
Definitions of important industrial ecology, circular economy, life-cycle and resource-efficiency terms.
46 terms shown
Anaerobic digestion
Biological breakdown of organic material without oxygen, producing biogas and digestate.
By-product
A secondary output from a process that may have a recognised use and specification.
Carbon accounting
The measurement and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions within defined organisational or product boundaries.
Circular economy
An economic approach that seeks to retain products, components and materials at useful value for longer.
Cleaner production
Preventive strategies applied to processes, products and services to reduce resource use and pollution at source.
Closed-loop production
A system in which outputs are recovered and returned as inputs to the same or another process.
Co-generation
The simultaneous production of useful heat and electricity from one energy source.
Cradle-to-cradle
A design concept that treats materials as inputs for continuing biological or technical cycles.
Cradle-to-gate
A life-cycle boundary from raw material extraction to the point a product leaves a factory.
Cradle-to-grave
A life-cycle boundary covering extraction, production, use and end-of-life.
Decarbonisation
The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from energy, materials, processes or economic activity.
Dematerialisation
Delivering a function with less material input.
Design for disassembly
Designing products so components can be separated efficiently for repair, reuse or recovery.
Eco-efficiency
Creating more value with lower resource use and environmental impact.
Eco-industrial park
A group of businesses that collaborate on resource, infrastructure and environmental performance.
Embodied carbon
Greenhouse gas emissions associated with materials and construction before operation or use.
Energy cascading
Using energy at progressively lower temperature or quality levels across suitable processes.
Environmental product declaration
A standardised declaration reporting quantified environmental information about a product.
Extended producer responsibility
A policy approach that gives producers responsibility for products after sale or use.
Feedstock
A material used as an input to an industrial process.
Functional unit
The quantified function used as the basis for comparison in a life-cycle assessment.
Green chemistry
The design of chemical products and processes that reduce hazardous substances and impacts.
Industrial ecology
The study and practical improvement of material, water and energy flows through industrial systems.
Industrial metabolism
The analysis of resource inputs, transformations, stocks and outputs in industrial activity.
Industrial symbiosis
Collaboration where one organisation's underused resource becomes useful to another.
Life-cycle assessment
A structured method for evaluating environmental impacts across a product or service life cycle.
Life-cycle inventory
The compiled inputs and outputs associated with a life-cycle system.
Linear economy
A take-make-use-dispose model with limited recovery of products and materials.
Mass balance
An accounting method based on the principle that mass entering a system must leave, accumulate or transform.
Material flow analysis
A systematic assessment of material flows and stocks within defined boundaries.
Material recovery
The extraction of useful materials from products, waste or by-products.
Process integration
Coordinating processes to improve the combined use of energy, water and materials.
Rebound effect
When efficiency gains lower cost or effort and lead to increased consumption that offsets some benefits.
Resource efficiency
Delivering useful output with less material, water, energy and waste.
Reverse logistics
The movement of products or materials from users back for repair, reuse, remanufacture or recovery.
Scope 1 emissions
Direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources controlled by an organisation.
Scope 2 emissions
Indirect emissions associated with purchased electricity, steam, heat or cooling.
Scope 3 emissions
Other indirect value-chain emissions associated with an organisation's activities.
Secondary material
Recovered material used as an alternative to virgin material.
System boundary
The processes, locations, time periods and life-cycle stages included in an analysis.
Waste hierarchy
A priority order that generally favours prevention, reuse and recovery over disposal.
Waste valorisation
Creating useful value from a residual material or waste stream.
Water cascading
Using water sequentially for applications with progressively lower quality requirements.
Water reuse
Using treated or captured water again for a suitable purpose.
Zero waste
An aspirational approach focused on preventing waste and retaining material value.