From EcoDesign to Industrial Metabolism: Redefinition of Sustainable Innovation and Competitive Sustainability

Abstract

Successful enterprises are distinguished by their sustainable development reliant on their ability to learn and develop innovative solutions. Recyclability (material and product design) and recycling (process design) emerge as new paradigm for sustainable competitiveness. The paper makes a critical evaluation of the most commonly tools and techniques in use and suggests a redefinition of the concept of EcoDesign by integrating End-of-Life activities to gain industrial metabolism. This approach takes a broader innovation perspective, necessary to construct a sustainable innovation community with material balance of the system. The paper suggests a modular approach as generator for integrating embedded firm specific elements into a renewal networked supply chain