College of Business Administration

1) Could a project such as NISP be successful in the US? Why or why not?

2) Although loop-closing and industrial symbiosis promote environmental protection, does it also promote a lack of clean technology innovation? Why or why not?

3) How might companies and communities in the US come together to form an industrial symbiotic plan on their own without some sort of government intervention/regulation?

4) What are some of the practical barriers you see that might prevent loop-closing? Philosophical barriers?

5) What can we do as consumers to help close the recycling loop?

6) Has an emphasis on using recycled materials contributed to a reduction in consumer or business consumption?

7) Should there be limits on a company’s legal/financial responsibility for the environmental harms their products may cause? If so, what considerations should be taken into account in the setting of such limits?

“Under the intelligent product system, these products would not be sold, but would be licensed to the purchaser, with ownership retained by the manufacturer. When you bought a refrigerator, a VCR, or car, you would buy the license to use and operate it….It must be returned by the final user, or in the case of large appliances, picked up by the manufacturer or retailer.” – Hawkin p.68

8) Such an outlook challenges our traditional views of property ownership, leaving us to wonder: would it work? What impact would this have on manufacturers, retailers and “licensees”?