Industrial ecology an important work-in-progress

Industrial ecology was born about a decade ago. Since then it has grown as a field of inquiry and has produced a community of practice in several sectors, including academia, business and government. This paper takes a critical view of the developments so far and asks to what extent industrial ecology has taken on the attributes of more conventional academic fields. In a related analysis, I look at the progress that industrial ecology has made in establishing itself as a cultural basis for action in the above sectors. Ideas like industrial ecology must become institutionalized if they are to have much effect on the reality of everyday activities. My personal assessment is positive in both aspects of this analysis.