The consumer who selects a recycled paper product at the supermarket or who rejects a product because it is over-packaged is taking positive action. The corporation that redesigns its manufacturing process to save energy and raw materials has taken an equally positive step. A 1995 survey noted that 61 percent of Americans favor the idea of sustainable development, and that four out of 10 say they would tolerate changes in the price of consumer goods, such as paying more for a gallon of gasoline if they were sure it would help the environment. This willingness indicates that the public is developing attitudes and values that foster sustainable living. Our society will not be unsustainable one day and sustainable the next.
Sustainability is a process with a beginning and no end.
The challenge will remain with us and our children and their children. Manufacturers across the nation are adopting eco-efficient manufacturing processes, also known as 'industrial ecology. Eco-efficient firms design industrial processes that mimic natural ecosystems, following nature's model by recycling valuable energy and natural resources. In 1990, Americans recycled 9.65 million tons of aluminum beverage cans, a recovery rate of 63 percent. The Berger family in Whitney Point, New York, has found ways to keep its trash to 3.0 pounds a year, rather than the 4.3 pounds of garbage produced every day by the average American.