Towards cleaner production: barriers and strategies in the base metals producing industry

The purpose of this study is to identify the barriers that impede the implementation of more radical solutions, with the aim to design strategies towards cleaner production in the base metals producing industry. The paper conceptualises the radicalness of a technological innovation, and presents the current base metals production processes, their environmental impact, and cleaner technologies. The most important barriers for radical innovations appear to be the cost of investment, the high risk involved in committing capital to unproven technology, and the intertwinement of the current production system. The paper presents firm-internal, inter-firm and firm-external strategies to overcome these barriers.