Advances in Environmental Informatics: Integration of Discrete Event Simulation Methodology with ecological Material Flow Analysis for Modelling eco-efficient Systems

In the first section we provide a short review of the rather young field of Environmental Informatics. We argue that Environmental Informatics methods and tools are powerful means in environmental information processing for supporting environmental protection and sustainable development. In the second part we introduce an integrated approach for modeling ecoefficient systems such as complex production systems under an economic as well as an ecological view. This modeling approach allows for the implementation of a combined model representing material and energy flows and bottle necks in machine capacities at the same time (instead of using two different models with different software tools). Finally present a case study from a real waver production site as a proof of concept for this substantial contribution to Environmental Informatics. © 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd.