Circular economy measures that boost the upgrade of an aluminum industrial park

Abstract

Aluminum industry is an energy intensive and high pollution industry that recently rapidly developed in China. Circular economy (CE) development in the aluminum industry has significant achievements in easing the environmental pressure and facilitating green development in the last decade. Following a stepwise analytic framework, this study aims to elaborate the manner in which CE measures function in upgrading the aluminum industry. Xinfa Industrial Park (XFIP), the largest aluminum production base in China, was chosen as the case study. The CE measures were summarized, and 10 year in-depth data were collected to reveal the changes in the system structure and overall performance of the XFIP. Results show that the mean nodal degree and the flexibility of the industrial symbiosis network increased due to the extended and coupled industry chains. Furthermore, overall performance improved, as reflected in the significant increase of industrial added value, the reduction of energy and fresh water consumption intensities and the enhancement of solid waste utilization efficiency. The CE development pattern of the XFIP sets an example for other industrial parks to upgrade their economic and environmental performances.