Final answer:
A firm practicing industrial ecology exemplifies the principles by finding new uses for waste or byproducts to reduce environmental impact -- scenarios like an oil refinery selling sulfur to a sulfuric acid plant and a power company selling excess steam to a pharmaceutical plant illustrate this.
Step-by-step explanation:
A firm that practices industrial ecology is one that incorporates closed-loop practices by finding new uses for waste or byproducts as a means of reducing its environmental impact. Two exemplar scenarios you've mentioned certainly qualify:
- An oil refinery removing sulfur and selling it to a sulfuric acid plant embodies the essence of industrial ecology, repurposing a byproduct that otherwise might be seen as waste.
- A power company selling excess steam to a nearby pharmaceutical plant is an example of energy recovery and symbiosis between industries, which is a cornerstone of industrial ecology practices.
The concept here is akin to creating a mini-ecosystem where the waste of one process becomes the input for another, thereby minimizing ecological footprints and making processes more sustainable.