Waste minimization is a significant means to further increase the profit, efficiency and competitiveness of industry. It is a strong challenge to develop those techniques which will have significant positive value to industrial productivity and to admit that other waste minimization goals are best achieved with classical pollution treatment approaches. On the horizon (even today) it is clear that further waste minimization is possible only when quantum jumps in the approaches to manufacturing are taken. Thus sustained, focused research efforts are clearly needed today to achieve these major improvements. It is therefore proposed to conduct an intense, directed Research Needs Workshop to discuss and develop an assessment of a central topic - "What are there basic or innovative applied research needs (including examples) in the field of industrial waste minimization?" The proposed Research Needs Workshop would be composed mostly of individuals from industry as the primary group to speculate and critically evaluate the nature of waste minimization research for manufacturing processes. Following the meeting, an Executive Summary and a report will be prepared for use of individuals and organizations with interest in research commitments to waste minimization for industry.
