The biosphere and the industrial economy are both systems that transform materials. While the biosphere is a nearly perfect system for recycling materials, industrial systems need to be modified to increase their efficiency in production and recycling. Like the early stages of biological evolution, modern industrial processes are discrete, irreversible linear sequences that are energized by fuels which are not regenerated within the system. Modern biological processes, on the other hand, are regenerative. Industrial metabolism – i.e., the energy- and value-yielding processes of economic development – can gain from the lessons learned from the biosphere. This article discusses the environmental significance of industrial processes, as well as issues related to waste emission.
