APPLYING INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY TO INDUSTRIAL PARKS - AN ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL-ANALYSIS

Industrial ecology (IE) is an emerging framework for characterizing re lationships between businesses and analyzing their economic and enviro nmental performance. By applying the principles of IE, members of eco- industrial parks (EIPs) pursue improvements in their economic efficien cy while reducing the environmental burden of their production activit ies. This article discusses the potential of EIPs for improving econom ic and environmental performance and presents a methodology for develo ping and analyzing potential EIPs. The methodology is applied to a pro totype EIP based on companies in Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, Me xico, The potential for improved economic performance can be an import ant draw for public and private developers frying to populate an EIP a nd this study shows that these benefits are attainable. We conclude wi th a discussion of the conditions necessary for successful EIPs in the United States.