Have you wondered why gold is so expensive or why so little plastic packaging is recycled? This highly readable book with a unique perspective on environmental sustainability answers these questions and more. Readers will learn:How metals and plastics are made and what happens when they are recycledThe challenges that manufacturers face when trying to make their facilities and products less toxic and less wastefulHow manufacturers can extract the value of materials while doing less damage to human health and the environmentThe role of individuals, agencies, and governments in improving the use and reuse of materialsHow regulations can stifle or promote innovationHow smart companies are embracing the triple bottom line—profit, people, planet—to yield creative solutions that make manufacturing safer and less wastefulWhy some big corporations painted as evildoers deserve a second look. How reporting standards are making it easier to get a full picture of a company’s environmental footprintThe author explains concepts clearly and concisely through compelling examples and personal stories. Hear the journeys of:A business owner recycling scrap from airplane manufacturingA former geologist running a chain of donut shopsTwo entrepreneurs committed to improving e-waste processingAn executive promoting social and environmental responsibility at a major electronics companyA chemist developing safer cleaning productsConsultants helping businesses embrace practices that save resources and moneyOther business professionals devoted to making the world a better placeConcerned citizens with or without a background in manufacturing or business will find surprising answers to the questions facing companies as they work toward making better use and reuse of materials. Readers will come away with a new awareness of the steps they can take to help the business world succeed in making manufacturing more sustainable and less wasteful. | Material Value by Julia L F Goldstein, Paperback | Indigo Chapters