A method for evaluating the overall technical and economic performance of environmental innovations in production cycles

As is demonstrated by a great deal of scientific literature on the subject. an ever-increasing number of businesses are adopting cleaner production as a strategy to minimise the impact of their activities and their products on the environment. However, the range of approaches which are grouped together and given the common name 'cleaner production' is quite broad and diversified and includes a variety of innovative Solutions that lead to very different results. Indeed, varying results have been obtained; the improvements in that industry has achieved in its environmental performance. both on a single business basis and in the overall product life cycle, as well as in the financial and economic returns. The present study proposes a quantitative method of classification, cleaner production innovations based on technical and economic criteria. The method proposed here is based on improvements made to the environment and the economic benefits to both the single business and to the overall socio-economic system as well as on the inter-relations between these variables. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.