Potential Industrial Symbiosis Research Articles

Investigating the use of network analysis metrics to benchmark Industrial Symbiosis development

Circular economy (CE) aims to reduce natural resource consumption, waste generation, and related detrimental environmental, social, and economic impacts by keeping valuable materials circulating in the economy. Industrial Symbiosis (IS) contributes to CE through byproduct-exchange partnerships between firms, reducing raw material use, emissions, and waste generation, while promoting the economic growth of partner firms. However, most IS projects fail in the early stages and do not reap the full sustainability benefits of IS. A significant reason for the failure of early-stage IS projects is the lack of knowledge regarding the strategic organization of IS networks. Quantifying IS network organization and operational characteristics and benchmarking IS development can address this challenge, and enable knowledge transfer regarding IS network organization from mature IS networks to guide the advancement of new IS projects. This investigation tests multiple Ecological Network Analysis (ENA) and Social Network Analysis (SNA) metrics using three real-world IS case studies, as potential IS benchmarking tools. The results of the investigation show that ENA and SNA metrics can be used to compare IS networks and identify differences in the following characteristics: Partnership prevalence, producer–consumer relationships, linkage distribution, resource utilization, effect of indirect firm relationships, network cohesion, and network centralization. The values of the multiple network analysis metrics are found to be aligned with the development time of the IS networks and the qualitative markers of IS development stages as identified in the literature. For example, the analysis of producer–consumer relationships indicated that more than 50% of the consumer firms in the early stage IS networks had only one supplier partnership compared to less than 30% of the firms in the most mature IS network. Similarly, the analysis of network cohesion showed that the early-stage IS networks had (on average) five different isolated groups of firms compared to one cohesive group of firms in the more mature IS networks. This investigation demonstrates that network analysis of IS projects only requires anonymized and non-proprietary data, and identifies data-collection and modeling standards needed to develop an IS benchmarking framework using network analysis. The promising results of this investigation motivate future work into these standardization needs and the development of IS benchmarks using network analysis.

Designing regional industrial symbiosis networks: The case of Apulia region

AbstractAdopting industrial symbiosis (IS) is a key strategy for pursuing sustainable development and developing circular economy. In this regard, a powerful approach is promoting the development of regional business networks of IS relationships (ISNs), such as the well‐known Kalundborg ISN in Denmark. Nevertheless, a formalized method supporting the development of effective ISNs at the regional level is still lacking in the literature and practice. This paper develops a methodology to support the design of regional ISNs, consisting of two steps: (1) building a waste‐input relationship table, which can be used as a dictionary of the potential IS synergies implementable among couples of companies; and (2) identifying and selecting the potential symbiotic synergies that can be implemented among the companies belonging to a given regional area. The proposed methodology is tested for the case of Apulia region (Southern Italy), where more than 300 feasible IS synergies are identified. The method is useful both for companies interested to exploit IS benefits, and also for regional policymakers prone to develop IS in practice.

Method for identifying industrial symbiosis opportunities

Industrial Symbiosis (IS) can reduce industrial waste and the need for virgin material extraction by utilizing waste generated by one industry as a raw material for another. Input-output matching is a commonly used approach for identifying potential IS partnerships. Usually, to collect necessary data for input-output matching, companies are asked to participate in workshops or surveys. However, such activities can be costly and time consuming. Additionally, companies may be unwilling to participate due to issues around data confidentiality. This article aims to show how these barriers can be overcome by a new method for identification of IS opportunities, which does not require companies to be surveyed. The developed matching approach uses statistical datasets and IS databases. The underlying principle is to use known IS partnerships and databases developed by the authors containing data on typical waste generation and resource use by industries, to expand and link other potential donors and receivers. This allows the expansion of one IS example into multiple potential relationships. The method promotes Circular Economy development by identifying more opportunities to utilize more secondary resources through connecting previously unrelated industry sectors. The method has been tested in Sweden, where the goal was to identify potential partnerships between industries that generate sawdust as a waste product and companies that could utilize sawdust in their industrial processes. Out of 6,726,534 potential symbiotic links identified by the method, 159,630 were shortlisted using prioritization criteria reflecting an increased likelihood of symbiosis.

SymbioConstruction: A Bibliography-Driven Dynamic Construction Industry Symbiosis Database

The increasing depletion of nonrenewable resources has motivated society to find alternate sources and methods of industrial processes. This problem can only be solved by using the resources that are given by nature in such a way that they can be spontaneously renewed, namely through sustainability. Industrial symbiosis (IS), which is the substitution of raw materials used in an industrial process by another resource that would otherwise be discarded, is the key to sustainability in industry. IS is an alternative to a conventional linear economy (take–make–dispose) in which one keeps resources in use for as long as possible, extracts the maximum value from them during use, then reclaims and reproduces products and materials at the end of each service life. The initial step in developing a symbiotic relationship is to define possible relationships between production firms. Many studies have shown that lack of data on waste streams is one of the significant barriers to IS establishment. In this study, by screening IS case studies in the literature, a construction industry–related symbiosis database, namely SymbioConstruction, is developed as three modules in which the necessary data are provided to waste seekers to utilize/send a specific waste and to stakeholder seekers to establish symbiotic relationships by exchanging wastes. Then, the database is tested with two steps: (1) evaluation on the ecoindustrial parks, and (2) evaluation on the construction materials industry. The exploratory results of the evaluation show that the SymbioConstruction is able to identify the major amount of construction industry–related symbiotic relationships realized in ecoindustrial parks located around the world. Furthermore, it also shows that the main producers of construction materials have the opportunity of implementing symbiotic relationships in terms of sending and receiving wastes for utilization. The practical contribution of this study is in the form of a database in which the guidance is provided to practitioners for decision making in symbiotic relationship implementation with respect to the identification and selection of possible stakeholders. Two methodological contributions are also provided: (1) a generalized method for identifying sector-oriented potential IS implementations, and (2) a generalized method for storing those IS opportunities.

Capital‐based life cycle sustainability assessment: Evaluation of potential industrial symbiosis synergies

AbstractIndustrial symbiosis (IS) promotes collaboration among traditionally unrelated industries, finding ways to use waste from one as a raw material for another. To enhance IS sustainability, it is essential that involved firms are aware of potential costs and benefits of new exchanges to make informed decisions. Previous assessments have primarily focused on environmental and financial implications of potenial IS synergies, but social implications are rarely addressed. Even when considered, only a limited set of social indicators, such as job creation, development of social ties, and trust among partners, are used. Such an unbalanced focus on sustainability aspects may contribute to problem shifting and suboptimal selection of new synergies. A comprehensive life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) of IS, covering all three dimensions is clearly lacking. Conventionally, a triple bottom line (TBL) approach is used to evaluate sustainability; however, we explore the concept of capitals and develop a capital‐based LCSA framework as a means to evaluate sustainability of IS by examining the stocks and flows of eight different types of capital, or resources creating value, in a system. Measuring stocks and flows is conceptually much closer to the actual definition of sustainability (meeting the needs of the present by maintaining the available stocks without compromising the future needs), when compared to the TBL approach of simply aggregating environmental, social, and economic impact assessment results. This novel LCSA approach is tested at a facility with active IS, The Plant in Chicago, considering three alternative fuel usage scenarios for baking bread at an on‐site bakery.

Recurring Patterns and Blueprints of Industrial Symbioses as Structural Units for an IT Tool

Industrial Symbiosis (IS) deals with the set-up of advanced circular/cascading systems, in which the energy and material flows are prolonged for multiple material and energetic (re-)utilization within industrial systems. To facilitate the technology-enabling environment of IS systems, this work deals with the identification of recurring patterns in IS systems of specific IS case studies and deduction of elementary blueprints and structural units, setting an initial cornerstone to pool and synthesize existing IS knowledge and to deploy this knowledge base in an Information Technology (IT)-supported IS tool, which would remarkably advance the scope of action and development of IS systems. An explorative cross-case analysis was conducted by investigating 80 IS case studies in depth in order to illuminate recurring (key) patterns in IS systems by generalizing and abstracting IS main structures, compositions, resource exchange activities and measures. It has been shown that similar IS sectoral partnerships and resource exchanges have recurrently formed in different regions and hence, generalizable patterns can be deduced. This study identified common IS compositions, sector clusters and key/core/anchor entities and synthesized a content basis for a database of an IS resource exchange catalog based on existing/available IS information, which can be used in an IT-supported IS tool. It contains information of specific IS resource exchanges, broken down by industrial sectors, differentiating providing and receiving sectors and which respective exchanged waste flows were processed into which secondary material/product. Once this fundamental information/data base is incorporated and applied in an IT-supported IS tool, it enables the facilitated recommendation of potential IS partners and IS actions to optimize existing IS cases or to initiate IS development. Especially, first IS germ cells of (key) entities can be derived and connected to each other considering individual circumstances and (geographical) business environments.

Potential Benefit of Industrial Symbiosis using Life Cycle Assessment

Industry symbiosis is an environmental management approach that is part of industrial ecology. Industrial symbiosis requires a measurement tool that can measure intangible flows or non-physical flow. Creating industrial symbiosis at industrial estate can be done by uncovering industrial symbiosis, which is seeing the opportunity of material, energy, by product or water change. The potential flow of material and energy could build by seeing the opportunity of changing based on the raw material used and waste or by product produced. The objective of this paper is to saw the potential creating industrial symbiosis using LCA. Literature review and observation method used for data collection and Hyundai industrial estate choose as a population. Descriptively method used for data analysis method. The result showed the potential industrial symbiosis could proceed to see the opportunity by saw the result of LCA. LCA is a measurement tool that can be used in measuring all material and/or energy that used in industry. From LCA gate-to-gate analysis founded that waste and by product produced which were the emission, scrap and CO2 emission could show clearly. Thus, LCA is a very useful tool in uncovering industrial symbiosis and could measure the environmental impact of applying industrial symbiosis.

Evaluating the benefits of a potential industrial symbiosis network within the boundaries of a protected area, using the method of life cycle assessment

Anthropogenic activities within the boundaries of protected areas are creating challenges that can cause significant damage to the ecosystem and biodiversity. Especially on cases where heavy industrial activities take place within, or near, the boundaries of protected areas, the preservation of nature is at high risk. In this paper, we utilise the method of life cycle assessment (LCA) to assess the existing environmental situation of a protected area in NE Greece with anthropogenic activities. Moreover, the potential implementation of industrial symbiosis is examined, in order to minimise the environmental impacts within the boundaries of the protected area. LCA is used to compare the existing situation and the symbiotic scenario. Several symbiotic activities were identified leading to reduced carbon dioxide emissions in the area (14.5% reduction), reduced amount of oil consumption for heating needs (98 kt of oil annually), as well as reduced total energy consumption for electricity.

Evaluating the benefits of a potential industrial symbiosis network within the boundaries of a protected area, using the method of life cycle assessment

Evaluating the benefits of a potential industrial symbiosis network within the boundaries of a protected area, using the method of life cycle assessment

The Potential of Industrial Symbiosis: Case Analysis and Main Drivers and Barriers to Its Implementation

Industrial symbiosis, which is characterised mainly by the reuse of waste from one company as raw material by another, has been applied worldwide with recognised environmental, economic, and social benefits. However, the potential for industrial symbiosis is not exhausted in existing cases, and there is still a wide range of opportunities for its application. Through a comprehensive literature review, this article aims to compile and analyse studies that focus on potential industrial symbiosis in real contexts, to highlight the margin of optimisation that is not being used. The cases reported in the publications identified here were characterised and analysed according to geographic location, type of economic activity, waste/by-products, main benefits, and the methods employed in the studies. From this analysis, we conclude that there is great potential for applications involving industrial symbiosis throughout the world, and especially in Europe, corresponding to 53% of the total cases analysed. Manufacturing stood out as the sector with the highest potential for establishing symbiosis relationships, and the most common types of waste streams in potential networks were organic, plastic and rubber, wood, and metallic materials. This article also discusses the main drivers and barriers to realising the potential of industrial symbiosis. The diversity of industries, geographical proximity, facilitating entities and legislation, plans, and policies are shown to be the main drivers.

Enabling industrial symbiosis collaborations between SMEs from a regional perspective

Small and Medium Enterprises make up the vast majority of the businesses within the European Union, and are consequently important contributors to local and regional well-being. Nevertheless, Small and Medium Enterprises face many challenges when it comes to fostering innovation and improving environmental performance as part of their day-to-day activities. In parallel, the global consumption of raw materials is increasing, which makes it necessary to define and establish strategies to reduce the amount of, and dependence on, raw material extraction and imports, whilst also improving the sustainability of SMEs. In this context it is essential to promote circular economy strategies, such as industrial symbiosis partnerships, where companies use the waste products of other industries as raw materials. To achieve this, there is a need to find enablers to support industrial symbiosis collaborations among SMEs. These could include regional developers and local authorities. The aims of this study are to investigate whether industrial symbiosis is already a common practice within SMEs in the Västra Götaland Region of Sweden, as well as identifying barriers and motivations for partnerships. For this purpose, case studies of two industries were carried out: beer production and mushroom farming. Information was collected using on-site visits and semi-structured interviews, and the key findings where combined with a literature review, then used to propose new industrial symbiosis opportunities. The results show that industrial symbiosis is already used by some of the beer and mushroom producers. Economic gains and better environmental performance were presented as the main motivations for the companies to be involved in these partnerships. Nevertheless, industrial symbiosis could be extended to also include those companies that do not yet share their waste, mostly due to a lack of time or knowledge. Consequently, the study suggests potential industrial symbiosis partnerships that could be implemented within a short period of time, and be used by the local authorities to help SMEs to achieve circularity of wastes. Future work considers the dissemination of the results among SMEs as well as apply the approach to other types of industries operating in the region to identify additional IS potential partnerships.

Industrial Symbiosis Implementation by Leveraging on Process Efficiency Methodologies

Resource efficiency is a crucial step for manufacturing companies to improve their operations performance and to reduce waste generation. However, there is no guarantee of a zero waste scenario and companies need to look for new strategies to complement their resource efficiency vision. Therefore, it is important to enroll in an industrial symbiosis strategy as a means to maximize industrial value capturing through the exchange of resources (waste, energy, water and by-products) between different processes and companies. Within this, it is crucial to quantify and characterize the waste, e.g. to have clear understanding of the potential industrial symbiosis hot spots among the processes. For such characterization, it is proposed to use an innovative process efficiency assessment approach. This empowers a clear understanding and quantification of efficiency that identifies industrial symbiosis hot spots (donors) in low efficiency process steps, and enables a plausible definition of potential cold spots (receivers), in order to promote the symbiotic exchanges.

Knowledge management of eco-industrial park for efficient energy utilization through ontology-based approach

An ontology-based approach for Eco-Industrial Park (EIP) knowledge management is proposed in this paper. The designed ontology in this study is formalized conceptualization of EIP. Based on such an ontological representation, a Knowledge-Based System (KBS) for EIP energy management named J-Park Simulator (JPS) is developed. By applying JPS to the solution of EIP waste heat utilization problem, the results of this study show that ontology is a powerful tool for knowledge management of complex systems such as EIP. The ontology-based approach can increase knowledge interoperability between different companies in EIP. The ontology-based approach can also allow intelligent decision making by using disparate data from remote databases, which implies the possibility of self-optimization without human intervention scenario of Internet of Things (IoT). It is shown through this study that KBS can bridge the communication gaps between different companies in EIP, sequentially more potential Industrial Symbiosis (IS) links can be established to improve the overall energy efficiency of the whole EIP.

Enhancing value chains by applying industrial symbiosis concept to the Rubber City in Kedah, Malaysia

In the last decade, Malaysia has experienced exceptional growth, progressing from primarily agriculture-based to a more developed manufacturing-based industrial economy. The natural rubber industry has been an important sector for Malaysia's economic development, contributing RM33.7 billion (USD101.1billion) or 4.69% of the country's Gross Domestic Profit (GDP) in 2013. This paper aims to apply the industrial symbiosis (IS) concept to the proposed Rubber City bilateral industrial development in Kedah, Malaysia. The concept of IS can be considered a strategic tool to enhance environmental and socio-economic sustainability of rubber industry. This paper involves stakeholder analysis of IS to identify strategic priorities and opportunities for the Rubber City initiative. The IS framework focuses on three main natural rubber downstream products: natural rubber blocks, tyres, and gloves; and identifies synergies in resource cycles and waste management using Materials Flow Analysis (MFA) and the Input-Output (IO) data based on previous Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) data for each of the three natural rubber products. Based on this case study, we identified ten principal synergies which include five potential IS industries integrated within the RC conceptual framework. Stakeholder surveys of natural rubber processors and other actors (such as government agencies) were conducted in Malaysia to identify barriers and enabling factors for IS implementation in the Rubber City. The outcomes of this study will be used as basis for integrated strategic development plan and implementation approach towards a sustainable Rubber City development in Malaysia.

Looplocal – a heuristic visualization tool to support the strategic facilitation of industrial symbiosis

Industrial symbiosis (IS) developments have been differentiated as self-organized, facilitated, and planned. This article introduces a tool, Looplocal, which has been built with objectives to support the strategic facilitation of IS. Looplocal is a visualization tool built to assist in 1) Simplifying the identification of regions susceptible to new industrial symbiosis facilitation activities 2) Enabling proactive and targeted marketing of potential exchanges to key actors in specific regions and 3) Assisting facilitators to assess the various strategies and consequential engagement and analysis methodologies suitable for additional IS development in specific regions. The tool compares industrial symbiosis data and estimated regional material and energy flows (on a facility level) to identify potential IS transfer information along with key stakeholder and network data. The authors have performed a proof of concept run of this tool on Sweden. In its early stages of application the method has given results seen as useful for identifying regions susceptible to the investment of symbiosis facilitators' time and resources. The material focus and customization possibilities for the tool show potential for a spectrum of potential facilitators: from waste management companies to national or regional authorities. In conjunction with long term business models, such a tool might be utilized throughout an adaptive chain of facilitation activities and aims.

Emergy-based assessment on industrial symbiosis: a case of Shenyang Economic and Technological Development Zone

Industrial symbiosis is the sharing of services, utility, and by-product resources among industries. This is usually made in order to add value, reduce costs, and improve the environment, and therefore has been taken as an effective approach for developing an eco-industrial park, improving resource efficiency, and reducing pollutant emission. Most conventional evaluation approaches ignored the contribution of natural ecosystem to the development of industrial symbiosis and cannot reveal the interrelations between economic development and environmental protection, leading to a need of an innovative evaluation method. Under such a circumstance, we present an emergy analysis-based evaluation method by employing a case study at Shenyang Economic and Technological Development Zone (SETDZ). Specific emergy indicators on industrial symbiosis, including emergy savings and emdollar value of total emergy savings, were developed so that the holistic picture of industrial symbiosis can be presented. Research results show that nonrenewable inputs, imported resource inputs, and associated services could be saved by 89.3, 32.51, and 15.7 %, and the ratio of emergy savings to emergy of the total energy used would be about 25.58 %, and the ratio of the emdollar value of total emergy savings to the total gross regional product (GRP) of SETDZ would be 34.38 % through the implementation of industrial symbiosis. In general, research results indicate that industrial symbiosis could effectively reduce material and energy consumption and improve the overall eco-efficiency. Such a method can provide policy insights to industrial park managers so that they can raise appropriate strategies on developing eco-industrial parks. Useful strategies include identifying more potential industrial symbiosis opportunities, optimizing energy structure, increasing industrial efficiency, recovering local ecosystems, and improving public and industrial awareness of eco-industrial park policies.

‘Habitat’ Suitability Index Mapping for Industrial Symbiosis Planning

SummaryBy ‘working with the willing’, the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) has successfully facilitated industrial symbiosis throughout the United Kingdom and, in the process, delivered significant economic and environmental benefits for both Programme members and the country as a whole. One of the keys to NISP's success is that, unlike failed attempts to plan and construct eco‐industrial systems from scratch, the Programme works largely with existing companies who have already settled in, developed, and successfully operate within a given locale. This article argues that existing and mature industrial systems provide the best prospects for identifying opportunities for, and ultimately facilitating, industrial symbiosis. Due to levels of diversification and operational fundamental niches that, in the fullness of time, develop within all industrial systems, industrially mature areas are deemed to be industrial symbiosis ‘conducive environments’. Building on the conservation biology concept of a habitat suitability index, the article presents a methodology for comparing a potential site for eco‐industrial development to a known baseline industrial ‘habitat’ already identified as being highly conducive to industrial symbiosis. The suitability index methodology is further developed and applied to a multi‐criteria evaluation geographic information system to produce a ‘habitat’ suitability map that allows practitioners to quickly identify potential industrial symbiosis hotspots (the methodology is illustrated for England). The article concludes by providing options for the development of symbiosis suitability indices and how they can be used to support the facilitation of industrial symbiosis and regional resource efficiency.