Concept Of Industrial Ecology Research Articles

Thermal Energy Storage Using Hybrid Nanofluid Phase Change Material (PCM) Based on Waste Sludge Incorp Rated ZnO/α-Fe2O3.

Renewable solar energy storage facilities are attracting scientists' attention since they can overcome the key issues affecting the shortage of energy. A nanofluid phase change material (PCM) is introduced as a new sort of PCM is settled by suspending small proportions of nanoparticles in melting paraffin. ZnO/α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals were prepared by a simple co-precipitation route and ultrasonically dispersed in the paraffin to be a nanofluid-PCM. The behaviors of the ZnO/α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals were verified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and the average particle size and the morphology of the nanoparticles were explored by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). For the object of industrial ecology concept, aluminum-based waste derived from water-works plants alum sludge (AS) is dried and augmented with the ZnO/α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals as a source of multimetals such as aluminum to the composite, and it is named AS-ZnO/α-Fe2O3. The melting and freezing cycles were checked to evaluate the PCM at different weight proportions of AS-ZnO/α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals, which confirmed that their presence enhanced the heat transfer rate of paraffin. The nanofluids with AS-ZnO/α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles revealed good stability in melting paraffin. Additionally, the melting and freezing cycles of nanofluid-PCM (PCM- ZnO/α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles) were significantly superior upon supplementing ZnO/α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles. Nanofluid-PCM contained the AS-ZnO/α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals in the range of 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 wt%. The results showed that 1.0 wt% AS-ZnO/α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals contained in the nanofluid-PCM could enhance the performance with 93% with a heat gained reached 47 kJ.

Treatment of textile industry wastewater based on coagulation-flocculation aided sedimentation followed by adsorption: Process studies in an industrial ecology concept.

This study examines the feasibility of treatment of textile industry wastewater using a two-step process that includes coagulation-flocculation aided sedimentation and adsorption. It also aims at finding reuse potential of the generated sludge while making the treated water recyclable for the same industry in an industrial ecology concept. The wastewater was collected from a small-scale textile plant with a discharge of 400 L/week, where more than 70 similar textile plants are located in and around the area. FeCl3 was selected as the coagulant for the initial step in the treatment process, and a bimetallic oxide Graphene Oxide (GO) hybrid was selected as the adsorbent for the latter step of the treatment process. The experimental conditions for the coagulation process included the optimization of dose, stirring speed, stirring time, and settling time. For the adsorption process it included the optimization of stirring time, dose, and rate. The parameters like Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and color were checked during the treatment process and near complete removal of COD and color were achieved using the suggested materials and process. The treated water was found fit for recycling - towards making zero liquid discharge plant. Later, the sludge generated from both the steps in the processes was sundried and mixed with cement and tested for 7 days and 28 days of compressive strength. A total of 26 kg of cement was replaced, by using sludge generated from treating 100 L of textile wastewater, in the sludge-cement mix. In addition to solving the sludge problem, the process can help in reducing the requirement of cement in concrete. Finally, a detailed economic assessment for the entire study was also performed and is reported.

Sustainable industrial ecology and environmental analysis: A case of melamine etherified resin fibres

Increasing global plastic consumption and its related plastic waste have become a major concern in the world. Achieving sustainable development in the plastics industry requires a systematic insight into all the relevant life cycle phases of plastic products and their environmental impacts. This paper utilises the concepts of industrial ecology and the circular economy to evaluate the three key aspects of thermoset plastic materials and their overall life cycle comprehensively: i) Sustainable production, ii) Recycling to obtain secondary products, and iii) End-of-life behaviour. For all three aspects, their environmental impacts are evaluated additionally using the conceptual Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. The industrial ecology approach, together with LCA is performed on a case study of melamine etherified resin (MER) fibre, which is a high value-added thermoset plastic, difficult to recycle, and, at the end-of-life, potentially emits hazardous compounds. The potential to sustainably produce MER fibre exclusively from renewable and waste sources is explored, closing the loop on the manufacturing and disposal phases. The hydrothermal decomposition of MER fibres into valuable compounds is investigated as a recycling technology. Regarding the end-of-life, a systematic assessment is conducted of the environmental impacts of discharging such material into soil and water bodies. Cleaner production of MER fibres shows the potential to reduce greenhouse gas footprint up to 67%, while analysis of sustainable recycling and disposal highlights important environmental hotspots.

Study of generation, separation and collection of waste and co-products in restaurants: a case study / Estudo da geração, separação e coleta de resíduos e coprodutos em restaurantes: um estudo de caso

In order to develop studies on sustainability in food preparation processes, this work aims to obtain a sustainable diagram for production processes in a commercial restaurant, using concepts of Industrial Ecology (IE), Cleaner Production (CP) and Circular Economy (CE). It was a Case Study with three important steps: Analysis of flows of production processes and their interactions in the light of the IE&CE concept; optimizing processes according to CP principles and adding value to the co-products obtained. Without any intervention, approximately 15% of all restaurants raw material was discharged; however, if closed cycle is attempted, almost everything can be recycled. While all types of packaging could be recycled, organic matter can be properly destined, at least for composting. This approach also has a very great social impact, which means sustainability is also largely improved.

Brazilian Agro-industrial Wastes as Potential Textile and Other Raw Materials: a Sustainable Approach

The Brazilian agro-industrial chain generates about 291 million/tons/year of wastes, which, if inadequately destinated, could originate social and environmental risks. There is a growing need for the use of alternative raw materials to replace that originated from fossil resources in the Brazilian industry. Renewable materials play an important role on the sustainability of ecosystems and materials’ circularity. The issue has acquired importance in light of recent bio-based agro-fiber development potential applications. Considering sustainability guidelines, this study aimed to analyze the main Brazilian agro-industrial waste crops (temporary and permanent) as important sources of natural fibers and other raw materials. A systematic review of the literature (SRL) about Brazilian researches, based on concepts of industrial ecology, and the creation of a bibliometric analysis network were carried out. The agricultural biomass related to the main crops presents characteristics making them suitable to be applied for textiles, as natural fibers and polymers, in biosorbents for industrial effluents, and cellulose obtention and reinforcement material in composites. Thus, scientific investment in researches on materials and technology development are necessary to provide applications that could meet current and future demands and expand the scope of new materials for sustainability.

Industrial ecology and local citizenship of migrant children in urban China

The discrepancies in the implementation and enactment of policies on migrant children’s education in China’s largest city centers (i.e. Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen) have received increasing attention. Drawing upon data from a longitudinal ethnographic study conducted in Shanghai and policy documents issued by other city centers, we propose the concept of industrial ecology to explicate the divergent trajectories of municipal-level education policies and regulations on the systematic relocation of migrant children to local public schools. We maintain that the industrial ecology of host cities resembling either a pipeline-shaped network of companies or a root-like network of companies has a decisive impact on the inclusiveness of city-level policies. In addition, by ‘voting with their feet’ migrants relocate to other cities to acquire their fundamental citizenship rights. Therefore, China’s largest city centers implement different policies to integrate migrant children into the public education system because of the interplay between the mechanism of competition between the host city and adjacent cities for retaining the workforce and the ‘voting with their feet’ mechanism of migrants.

Redesign of urban biowaste sustainable management system based on industrial ecology concept: A case study in China

Urban biowaste, which refers to the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW), is a predominant type of waste in low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, the sustainable management of urban biowaste is a key problem in solid waste management (SWM). However, treatment technologies usually come with secondary pollution and by-products that need further treatment, which would limit the economic and environmental benefits of the waste management system. The concept of industrial ecology has the potential to be introduced into the waste management field to solve this problem. Based on a practical case study of a city in eastern China, this paper conducted a complete urban biowaste treatment system planning exercise using concepts in industrial ecology. The establishment of the new system has significant economic, environmental and social benefits. The total output value of the project would reach 342 million yuan in 2025, corresponding to 945,000 tons of solid wastes consumed every year, which would significantly reduce the environmental pollution caused by solid waste. More than 700 jobs could also be created. In addition, the establishment of an urban biowaste sustainable management system requires the joint effort of enterprise, government and the public, which in turn requires innovation in business models and management policies. Therefore, a special management committee should be established to promote collaboration among stakeholders, and an online platform that enables end-to-end process supervision covering the entire system, including emergency management mechanisms, needs to be established to ensure the long-term stable operation of various treatment facilities. The results of this paper show that synergies among technologies should be promoted to provide systemic benefit, and that the infrastructure for pollution control should be shared to ensure high utilization.

Improving the sustainability of food supply chains through circular economy practices – a qualitative mapping approach

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a methodological approach to support qualitative analysis of waste flows in food supply chains. The methodological framework introduced allows the identification of circular food waste flows that can maximise the sustainability of food supply chains.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a qualitative approach, circular economy perspectives are combined with core industrial ecology concepts in the specification of a standardised analytical method to map food waste flows and industrial synergies across a supply chain.FindingsThe mapped waste flows and industrial linkages depict two time-related scenarios: (1) current scenarios showing the status quo of existing food waste flows, and (2) future scenarios pointing out circular flows along the supply chain. The future scenarios inform potential alternatives to take waste flows up the food waste hierarchy.Research limitations/implicationsThe qualitative approach does not allow generalisations of findings out of the scope of the study. The framework is intended for providing focussed analysis, case by case. Future research involving mixed methods where quantitative approaches complement the qualitative perspectives of the framework would expand the analytical perspective.Originality/valueThe framework provides a relatively low-cost and pragmatic method to identify alternatives to minimise landfill disposals and improve the sustainability of food supply chains. Its phased methodology and standardised outcomes serve as a referential basis to inform not only comparative analysis, but also policymaking and strategic decisions aimed at transforming linear food supply chains into circular economy ecosystems.

Industrial Ecology for Optimal Food Waste Management in a Region

Despite numerous discussions between scholars and policymakers, food waste (FW) remains a great concern. European Union alone discards 88 million tons of edible food annually, and when energy, inputs from technosphere and nature, labour, waste management of edible as well as inedible parts are assessed, it amounts to significant environmental and economic impacts. Additionally, food waste is considered a social problem and a matter of food security. Since food waste is a problem of the whole foodstuff supply chain, a holistic approach for its management must be taken. For this reason, an industrial ecology (IE) concept can provide a systemic approach that might be an interesting solution for tackling issues associated with such a biogenic food waste stream. The application of IE brings novelty to the research, because the IE approach is typically used for heavy industry that is concentrated in close proximity. The idea behind the IE approach is to prevent as much food waste as possible, then exploit homogenous sub-products for value added product (either food product or not), and, eventually, to obtain energy (or value added products) via fermentation and produce organic fertilizers of a great agronomical value. The results of investigation showed that numerous prevention and technological solutions can be applied to reduce environmental impact, and when available practises are coupled with IE elements, it brings the management approach close to natural ones. The key IE elements in the model are dematerialization and industrial symbiosis; however, other elements, such as restructuration of energy systems and policy alignment, are also present. As a result of the model application, an economically sound, zero food waste management could be obtained in a region

Introduction: The Metabolism of Islands

This editorial introduces the Special Issue “Metabolism of Islands”. It makes a case why we should care about islands and their sustainability. Islands are hotspots of biocultural diversity, and home to 600 million people that depend on one-sixth of the earth’s total area, including the surrounding oceans, for their subsistence. Today, they are on the frontlines of climate change and face an existential crisis. Islands are, however, potential “hubs of innovation” and are uniquely positioned to be leaders in sustainability and climate action. We argue that a full-fledged program on “island industrial ecology” is urgently needed with the aim to offer policy-relevant insights and strategies to sustain small islands in an era of global environmental change. We introduce key industrial ecology concepts, and the state-of-the-art in applying them to islands. Nine contributions in this Special Issue are briefly reviewed to highlight the metabolic risks inherent in the island cases. The contributors explore how reconfiguring patterns of resource use will allow island governments to build resilience and adapt to the challenges of climate change.

Problematique Approach to Analyse Barriers in Implementing Industrial Ecology in Philippine Industrial Parks

Industrial ecology is recognized as an important framework toward a circular economy wherein industrial systems minimize their environmental burden by mimicking the material cycles and energy cascades found in biological ecosystems. Advocates of such framework in planning of eco-industrial parks suggest that both economic and environmental gains can be attained by transforming the industrial production from a linear to a closed loop system. However, it is imperative first to understand and analyze systematically the barriers in implementing the concept of industrial ecology in industrial parks even at the early planning stage. This work thus proposes a problematique approach to understand and analyse such barriers toward a successful development of eco-industrial parks. A problematique is a term coined by Warfield referring to concepts and tools for a structural model of relationships among members of a set of problems. The problematique is shown to be effective in analyzing the structure that underlies problematic situations, thus increasing the potential for crafting solution through human intervention. An illustrative case study was presented using a methodological framework built from Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL), Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and Analytic Network Process (ANP). Among the identified barriers in an industrial park situated in Philippines, the method reveals the strength and direction of interaction, hierarchical network structure, prioritization of components, and the causal loop mapping to aid stakeholders in systems thinking and problem solving for such complex issues.

Locational Aspects of Industrial Ecology and Experiences of Practitioners from a Hungarian Industrial Park

The present article aims to contribute to understanding the relationship between the concepts of industrial ecology and circular economy in order to foster circular economy attempts. While research mostly focuses on various forms of industrial ecology or innovative technologies, it is also reasonable to analyse some mature industrial ecology practices, which can be used as quasi-models for circular economy. The technology selected for this study is flue gas desulphurisation in fossil fuel power plants and the utilization of gypsum produced in this process as a by-product by construction sector companies. In the first part of our article we briefly present the concept of industrial ecology and discuss its applicability as a potential model for circular economy as well as its locational aspects. Afterwards based on a literature review and stakeholder interviews a Hungarian power plant and industrial park is presented as a case study. The relevance of criteria of ecoinnovation parks are presented for the selected industrial park as well as the experience of industrial ecology by participating companies. Finally some general conclusions, based on the literature and the case study, are also discussed. Keywords: industrial ecology, locational aspects, industrial park, FGD gypsum

Reducing anthropogenic environmental stresses: A review on cleaner production and industrial ecology

AbstractCleaner production (CP) provides source control measures of minimizing the waste and emissions occurred by the production and processes. CP, which is also known by the term pollution prevention (P2), has been practiced for several years among various countries across the world. Practicing of CP in industries supports in optimization of materials utilization, lowering the energy consumption, and the reduction of emissions to air, water, and soil. CP provides a continuous and preventive environmental improvement for the organizations by focusing on the prevention rather than providing solutions, once the pollution has been occurred. Implementing CP in a business requires support from the employees from top to bottom levels in the hierarchy, to obtain a successful and long‐term outcome. Thus, CP is no longer considered as a standalone process and should be integrated in the entire business development activities, in order to improve the quality of life. CP can also be identified as a subset of industrial ecology, which focuses on designing the industrial processes, products, and services, in order to minimize the environmental concerns of the industrial activities. This article will provide an overview of the background of CP, the CP assessment methodology, and the concepts of industrial ecology.

Materials Abundance, Price, and Availability Data from the Years 1998 to 2015

Materials researchers are paying ever more attention to sustainability, criticality, availability, and other industrial ecology metrics and concepts as they develop new materials. Previous reports for these metrics have typically been either for a few specific compositions or for a single year. In this work, we present a new curated dataset which reports the global elemental production on a per country basis from the years 1998 to 2015 alongside elemental prices over this same time period. The data are taken from United States Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook entries. In addition to the raw data, analysis of the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index has been carried out and is reported alongside market share of each element for each year in the range provided. Lastly, we present a few possible scenarios for data utility such as exploring trends over the time period, correlating volatility with availability, or examining abrupt changes in the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index and how these may or may not relate to geopolitical events such as wars in mineral producing countries.

Industrial ecology, climate adaptation, and financial risk

AbstractClimate adaptation has become an important topic for risk management in companies. This article investigates the usefulness of Industrial Ecology tools and concepts in this context. The conclusion is that the established tools and concepts were not designed with the purpose of assisting managers in the climate adaptation and related financial risk context. Nevertheless, the tools and concepts offer plenty of aspects and features that are helpful for the assessment and management of climate risks. The tools primarily provide guidance for the managerial decision‐making process, notably in terms of data handling. The concepts can be used as a starting point for developing new climate risk management frameworks.

Re-use of Building Products in the Netherlands

Re-use of Building Products in the Netherlands

La transition écologique des territoires urbano-portuaires

Si les échanges de flux et de matière dominent les relations industrialo-portuaires, la transition écologique des villes est plus centrée sur l’habitat et des logiques sociales et politiques. Jusqu’à quel point ces deux approches sont-elles alors compatibles ? L'exemple de Strasbourg propose plusieurs résultats : d'abord l’utilité de mobiliser la notion d’écologie industrielle et territoriale dans une approche plus large que celle de la seule symbiose industrielle (Partie 1). Elle permet de définir une cartographie des acteurs strasbourgeois (Partie 2). Si la combinaison des acteurs peut déboucher sur des montages contractuels (Partie 3) et opérationnels (Partie 4), l’incertitude technologique qui pèse encore sur la réalisation des projets rend délicate une conciliation entre ville et port, entre intérêts économiques et écologiques (Partie 5). Ainsi, malgré un intérêt pour le rapprochement des deux types d’acteurs, la déconnexion ville-port persiste donc, du fait même du caractère innovant des réalisations envisagées.

Using industrial ecology and strategic management concepts to pursue the Sustainable Development Goals

The subjectivity, complexity, and often competing interests of sustainable development have limited the effectiveness of integrating these important ideas into mainstream business strategy. With the adoption of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in January 2016, there are now global sustainability benchmarks that apply across diverse sectors and national contexts, allowing public and private organizations to orient and evaluate their activities, strategies, and business outcomes. However, it is not directly apparent where the advantage for business lies in pursuit of these actions within the prevailing economic paradigm, highlighting the need for new analytical frameworks and tools. Industrial ecology (IE) has been successfully used in engineering practice for decades and has been suggested as a method that can provide the concepts and methods necessary to bridge the gap between traditional business practice and sustainable development. To test this, literature bridging the fields of industrial ecology, business strategy, and sustainable development was collected and analyzed using the textual analysis software Leximancer™. The analysis showed that while the SDGs are primarily aimed at the national level, they also hold relevance for business through innovation, partnerships, and strategic positioning, inter alia. The analysis found that the integration of IE and business strategy is highly relevant for three of the SDGs, but captures elements of all 17 to varying degrees. IE has a strong focus on innovation and its potential in new markets, products, and business models. IE is also consciously aimed at the efficient use of energy and resources, ideas that are relevant to mitigating, adapting, and building resilience in a changing future, but are also relevant to traditional concepts of business strategy and competitive advantage. This paper shows that through the combination of IE and strategic management theory, commercial organizations can positively contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals while building competitive advantage.

Sustainable Agro-Industrial Ecology Concept of the Madura Island

Madura as one small island in East Java Province, Indonesia faced many challenges due to limited transportation connectivity, limited water resources and karst geology. Due to this reasons, the Government of Indonesia proposed a strategic plan to improve the development of the island to Surabaya, the largest port for the Eastern of Indonesia. It was started with building the Surabaya – Madura (SuraMadu) Bridge with 5.7 km length in 2003. The bridge was finally completed in 2009, improving the traffic flow into the island and development of Madura Island.Unfortunately, the strategy would not be comprehensive without strategic development of the Madura Island, especially in Bangkalan District (Kabupaten Bangkalan). The Central Government has proposed a Green Industry with zero waste and clean energy concept. This industry and port would process the agriculture products from Madura for the export and Eastern part of Indonesia market. Therefore, an industrial ecology concept was needed to achieve the sustainable green industry for Eastern of Indonesia.

Environmental performance indicators as the key for eco-industrial parks in Thailand

Since the introduction of the Eco-Industrial Park (EIP) concept to Thailand, developers were keen on having clear guidelines about how to achieve EIP status. This research focuses on establishment of EID indicators that can be simply used to evaluate Eco-Industrial Estates or industrial parks using the concepts of sustainable development and industrial ecology. Forty three (43) indicators were identified and ranked considering their importance and the complexity. Furthermore, a three (3) tier system was developed to identify the level of eco-industrial development initiatives. It was revealed that environmental performance was the key to the success of Eco-industrial parks. The platinum tier was used to certify the environmental performance of an EIP. The significance levels of the indicators were used to rank the concerns of EIP stakeholders. These insights are important in establishing trust among stakeholders and to serve as guidelines for policy makers and strategy planners. Important policy implications are also suggested.