This article focuses on relevant ideals that should be considered in developing an integrated ecological and economic method to facilitate decision-making and the development of a low waste society at the municipal level. This analysis is with the proviso that additional research must be conducted on the input-side of societies' production systems. The interaction between social institutions and the environment is studied with the aid of a systems approach. The main focus of this article is on the social science framework or, more exactly, the sustainable development records (SDR). Material and energy flows are used as representative indicators of impacts on the environmental systems. Three SDR key indicators are proposed, namely: Effectiveness, Thrift, and Margin. Pilot studies of five sewage water treatment plants are presented to illustrate the practical application of the SDR method. Additionally, this article compares the SDR method with other endeavors to develop socio-ecological indicators.