Closing the loop: Industrial ecology, circular economy and material flow analysis

Abstract

This chapter explores the principles supporting industrial ecology (IE), circular economy (CE) and material flow analysis (MFA). IE concerns constructing industrial and societal processes according to ecological principles. One of the main features within IE is the principle of closing material loops by avoiding pollution. Insights from IE further aid in building the understanding essential for establishing the principles of circularity in the resource economy. MFA is viewed as an analytical method rooted in the field of IE and Systems Engineering (SE).