Natural Resources and Sustainability

NCSU and IES can help you get maximum value out of every resource your company uses.

Every resource has two types of value: the economic value, based on what you pay for it, and the pragmatic value (or "value in use"), based on how much use you can get out of it. Economic value is sunk cost: you bought it, you own it. Pragmatic value is variable, based on how smart you are about how you use it. Whether the resource is renewable (e.g., paper, water) or non-renewable (e.g., oil, metals), improving efficiency, reuse and recycling can maximize its pragmatic value.