systems, in this chapter, including wood certification and green building assessment systems. In chapter VII on regulation I will look more closely at this important trend of postindustrial regulation. EPR should be seen as a principle or relationship, especially in the building industry where simple take-back legislation would not be appropriate for all materials. It might work for carpeting, but different kinds of incentives would be necessary for lumber or roofing or other materials. In many cases, whole assemblies (floors, walls, etc.) or even whole buildings might be the more appropriate focus to create the economic loops that both mimic and harmonize with nature. For EPR in the building industry, there are four key levels that should be considered: the economy; the community; the building; and the product or material. My particular focus will be on the last twothe building and the materialbut none of these areas can be completed separated. For example, selection of specific materials has intrinsic connections to the community, bioregion and larger economy simply because efficiency requires making the most of local resources and minimizing unnecessary transportation costs. In this thesis, for practical reasons, I will not attempt to deal with many questions of planning and urban design that can so influence materials use. But because system dynamics and green markets must be considered, I will bring in some key questions of community in later chapters. While it has been essential to introduce the concept of EPR at this point in the thesis, the concern of this chapter is not primarily about EPR, but about the information and valuation behind EPR. As we will see, such knowledgeif properly utilizedcan become a regulatory force in itself. In subsequent chapters, I will return to how EPR