Integrating Sustainability Thinking into Action The Dynamics of Dematerializations and Substitutions

4 Integrating Sustainability Thinking into Action The Dynamics of Dematerializations and Substitutions 

To consider how the principles of sustainability may be put into action, let us consider the future sustainable management of materials. Complying with the system conditions requires combined dematerializations and substitutions (transmaterializations) (Robert et al., 2002). These actions mean that when society is managing materials in a sustainable way, all compounds will have ceased to systematically 

Furthermore, managing materials sustainably also requires that the biosphere not be degraded by physical means (system condition 3). Thus, renewable materials will not be overharvested and/or purchased from poorly managed ecosystems or from companies that are failing to restore ecosystem. In addition, infrastructure for transport will not be growing systematically and erode the landmass of productive ecosystems. 

Finally, to comply with system condition 4, materials will not wasted and/or made unaccessible by other means to people in less affluent areas of the society. Nor does the extracting, manufacturing, transporting, warehousing, distributing, and marketing of any items contribute to social behavior or abuses that undermine people s capacity to address their human needs and to live a fulfilling life. 

In turn, from an industrial perspective, this future will require the following  

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