Manufacturing and supply chain management in the industry ecosystem

To date the emerging area of environmentally conscious business practices (ECBP) has focused on the internal functions and activities of an organization. The literature has devoted little attention to customer-supplier relationships and their links to internal dimensions. Yet, in practice, the concern for environmentally conscious relationships among organizations is growing. External relationships are integral elements in the development of an industrial ecosystem infrastructure. These relationships are usually considered by supply chain management. Supply chain management from an ecological standpoint is a necessary component in design for the environment (DFE) and similar programs. This paper discusses issues associated with the linkage of ECBP and supply chain management.