3.4.8 Material Efficiency

LPDD Recommendation: “Congress and the administration should provide financial support for demonstration projects for materials efficiency that reduce CO2 emissions, such as reusable nanoscale materials in high-volume manufacturing.”

LPDD Recommendation: “Congress and the administration should pursue material efficiency strategies such as lightweighting, reduced yield loss, diverted scrap, reuse, increased product life-span, and greater product use intensity.”

LPDD Recommendation: “Congress and the administration should support material efficiency with certification, labeling, and standard-setting as well as preferen­tial purchasing and targeted RD&D support (e.g., R&D integration through DOE’s Energy Materials Network consortia led by one or more national laboratories).”

LPDD Recommendation: “DOE, state and local governments should employ a mix of policies to drive material efficiency across the life cycle.”

Resources on Industrial Symbiosis

Industrial symbiosis engages traditionally separate industries that seek competitive advantage through physical exchange of materials, energy, water, and byproducts.