Abstract

Over the last few decades, it has become apparent that modern industrial practices are wreaking havoc on the natural systems which provide for all of life on earth. Realizations that finite resources are being depleted quicker than they can be replaced have brought mounting social pressure on corporations to reconfigure what defines "business as usual". If productivity and profits are to be enjoyed by future generations, corporations will need to replace their current practices with more sustainable alternatives. This can be achieved if industry leaders learn to mimic the cyclical processes of the natural world. In nature, any output from one system is an input for another. Waste does not exist naturally. The concept of industrial ecology seeks to illustrate how industries can rebalance their spreadsheets to include natural capital, and yield greater profits for generations to come, thus repairing the broken relationship between business and the natural world. The tenets of industrial ecology have drawn attention from industry leaders that are eager to reap profits without compromising the well-being of their future stakeholders. Within the craft beer industry, innovators have been trailblazing new ways of doing business that align with these goals. By examining several cases in which productive norms are being redefined, this research seeks to provide lessons and examples for restructuring our economy to work in equilibrium with the environment.

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