ABSTRACT
A large proportion of environmental damage has been linked to industrial development and its related activities. Various industries extract resources in the form of raw materials from the surrounding environment and discharge manufacturing refuse, gas emissions, waste-water and other substances into the environment. As the world's population increases and socioeconomic activities expand, these activities exact a heavier toll on the environment, threatening a decline in natural resource reserves, habitat losses and potential or actual pollution (Buchholz 1998). Within this context, it is essential for industry to take the lead in adopting environmentally friendly practices into its policies and processes, rather than wait for government regulation and restrictions to enforce such practices (Fischer and Schot 1993; Roome 1998). Technological progress has allowed industry to develop alternatives for some environmentally damaging processes.
