Non-value-added activities are those that are not necessary if the firm is operating in an optimal environmentally efficient state. Interestingly, Porter and van der Linde claim that environmental pollution is equivalent to economic inefficiency.If production of contaminants is equivalent to economic inefficiency as they claim,then all failure activities must be labeled non-value-added. Adopting an eco efficiency paradigm implies that activities always exist that can simultaneously prevent environmental degradation and produce a state of economic efficiency better than the current state. Failure activities, of course, are not the only non-value-added activities.Many detection activities such as inspection are non-value-added as well.