Waste management policies for industrial symbiosis development: case studies in European countries

Industrial symbiosis (IS) emerged as a self-organizing business strategy among firms that are willing to cooperate to improve their economic and environmental performance. The adoption of such cooperative strategies relates to increasing costs of waste management, most of which are driven by policy and legislative requirements.Development of IS depends on an enabling context of social, informational, technological, economical and political factors. The power to influence this context varies among the agents involved such as the government, businesses or coordinating entities. Governmental intervention, as manifested through policies, could influence a wider range of factors; and we believe this is an area which is under-researched.This paper aims to critically appraise the waste policy interventions from supra-national to sub-national levels of government. A case study methodology has been applied to four European countries i.e. Denmark, the UK, Portugal and Switzerland, in which IS emerged or is being fostered.The findings suggest that there are commonalities in policy instruments that may have led to an IS enabling context. The paper concludes with lessons learnt and recommendations on shaping the policy context for IS development.     

Improving enterprise competitive advantage with industrial symbiosis: case study of a smeltery in China

Industrial symbiosis, a subfield of industrial ecology, focuses on transforming the waste of one firm into the valuable input of another, which improves the competitive advantages of supply chain by reducing production cost and improving environmental performance. Considering the specific situation where there are so many state-owned big company groups in China, this paper utilizes the ideas of constructing an industrial symbiosis among different firms, and does a case study on applying the concept into the inner relationships' reconstruction among different production systems in a big state-owned smeltery in South-west China. Three kinds of approaches are explored: 1) recycling and reusing the release; 2) concentrating and abstracting metals from the residues; 3) extending the product chain for value-added products. The results show that it can effectively improve the competitive advantage of the enterprise in terms of decreasing production cost and improving environmental performance.     

Voluntary GHG management using a life cycle approach. A case study

Voluntary GHG management is a primary issue for many organizations. To support organizations with this activity, authoritative bodies have published many different guidelines. Nevertheless, these guidelines show limitations in identification of the direct and indirect processes that have a major impact on climate change, which should be considered in GHG management.In this paper, a life cycle approach is used to identify the processes of an organization and its supply chain that have major impacts on climate change. The results show that this approach is compatible with the current ISO standards and that in the case study the greatest emissions come from the organization’s indirect processes.     

A process integration approach to industrial water conservation: a case study for an Indian starch industry

A case study for water using network of a Starch industry in the state of Gujarat, India, is undertaken with an aim to reduce demineralised water and freshwater flow rates and consequently the wastewater flow rate. The problem was identified as a multi contaminant, reuse and recycle problem. The freshwater consumption and demineralised water consumption were 100 t/h and 51 t/h respectively before modification and the network was dealing with three major contaminants such as total organic content, total dissolved solids and total suspended solids. A program was developed in MATLAB for analysis using Water Pinch. The improved water using network designed for the present work consumed less demineralised and freshwater. The reductions are of the tune of 28% and 64.38% for demineralised and fresh water respectively. Due to alteration in piping, there will be a saving of 406 026 INR per year, which will be utilized for development of efficient environment policy for the company. The entire concept had been implemented on plant level on 1st February-2009 and the reductions are of the tune of 25% and 60% for demineralised and fresh water respectively.     

Industrial symbiosis networks and the contribution to environmental innovation: The case of the Landskrona industrial symbiosis programme

This paper considers the potential contribution of Industrial Symbiosis (IS) networks in fostering environmental innovation at the local or regional level. Drawing on literature from innovation studies and innovation in spatial proximity, we outline three factors that are important for the innovation process and identify where the effects from IS networks can be explored. We use observations from the first IS programme in Sweden to provide examples of previously hypothesised effects. The implications of this inquiry are discussed in terms of design and development of IS programmes and for further research into the innovation effect of IS networks.     

Eco-efficiency and industrial symbiosis – a counterfactual analysis of a mining community

Complex utilization, a production model analogous to those described by industrial symbiosis, was planned at the Russian Kola Science Center in mid-1980. The model integrates the waste streams of mining industries in the Kola Peninsula in such a way that waste from one industrial operator becomes raw material for another. Using a counterfactual method, this article determines the eco-efficiency of the model between the years 1985 and 2005. A parallel study of the eco-efficiency of the actual system, i.e. in the absence of complex utilization, is then performed for the same time period. The study shows that complex utilization would indeed have yielded increased eco-efficiency, even though not all environmentally harmful emissions would have decreased. As a result of market collapse and the use of upstream pollution prevention together with traditional end-of-pipe technologies, however, the actual system shows net emission reductions similar to those modeled in complex utilization. It is suggested that in systems like the mining industry of the Kola Peninsula, with high production volumes and poorly developed environmental technologies, upstream pollution prevention together with traditional end-of-pipe technologies may prove more attractive than industrial symbiosis, despite the substantial increases in eco-efficiency of the latter.     

工业园共生演化定量研究

以江苏泰兴精细化工园及南通农药化工园为例,将最大流原理及自组织特征映射神经网络用于研究非成熟工业园的产业共生演化.由于演算得到的序参量ξ值虽然可以表征各工业园共生效益随时间变化情况,却无法用来横向比较工业园间共生效益,因此对计算过程进行了改进,提出新的序参量计算方法.比较了序参量ξ与产业关联度、交换量等指标后,定义ξ为产业共生演化效率指标,并将卡伦堡工业园2005年得出的ξ值2.87作为共生演化稳定状态标准值.研究发现,2个工业园在较少人工干预下,ξ值逐年上升,分别从0.04,0.133增加到1.51和1.675,但远小于卡伦堡工业园的2005年ξ值.建议在工业园自发形成进程基础上,加以合理引导,促进工业园更好更快地发展.     

青藏高原产业发展前景探讨

论文通过对青藏高原产业发展历史与现状的分析 ,提出高原产业调整与增长应立足资源优势 ,以重点地区资源开发基地建设为主要方向 ,确立21世纪的高原产业发展战略 ,并相应提出了主要产业调整与发展方向 ,主要包括建立以“大粮食”为核心的大农业产业体系 ,建立各具特色的能源、矿产资源开发基地 ,全力将旅游业培育成高原的支柱产业 ,加快基础设施与中心城镇的建设步伐。资源开发与区域发展的重点地区主要包括河湟谷地、柴达木盆地、藏南谷地和川滇藏接壤地区。     

Evaluation of innovative municipal solid waste management through urban symbiosis: a case study of Kawasaki

Industrial symbiosis encourages the establishment of a broad eco-industrial network so that more synergy opportunities can be identified. By linking municipal solid waste management (MSWM) with local industries, i.e., urban symbiosis, new symbiotic opportunities can be generated from the geographic proximity of urban and industrial areas, transferring physical resources from urban refuse directly to industrial applications and improving the overall eco-efficiency of the city as a whole. Using a case study of Kawasaki, this paper simulates and evaluates an innovative waste management initiative in Kawasaki by an scenario simulation model based on the LCA approach. Results show that recycling mixed paper, mixed plastics, and organic wastes and utilizing the recycled materials in industrial production will potentially reduce about 69 kt CO₂(e) emissions and 8 kt incineration ashes to be landfilled in 2015. To achieve these outcomes, the total additional cost compared with the current practice is about 1.2 billion JPY.     

高质量发展背景下的城湖共生关系识别与评价——以长三角合肥—巢湖为例

随着经济社会快速发展,城湖关系出现复杂而多元的变化,给区域可持续发展带来潜在挑战。从优化城市发展与湖泊保护的关系视角出发,在开展城湖共生理论分析的基础上,以长三角地区的合肥—巢湖为研究对象,构建城湖共生评价指标体系,引入Lotka-Volterra模型识别合肥—巢湖的城湖共生模式,采用共生协调度模型测度合肥—巢湖的城湖共生水平。主要结论如下：（1）研究期内城市子系统呈稳定上升趋势,各项指标由差异较大逐渐向均衡发展转变,但科技创新水平有待提升,下一步要加强转型升级和绿色创新。（2）研究期内湖泊子系统呈波动上升趋势,且2014年后趋势放缓;水生态环境相比水污染防治和水资源安全提升明显,但三者近年来增速都放缓,近期要强化巢湖系统保护与综合治理。（3）合肥与巢湖已进入城湖互利共生早期阶段,但共生协调度水平较低,需加强城湖联动、城湖互融,实现合肥与巢湖的高水平共生。合肥—巢湖的城湖关系研究为长三角地区其他城湖系统的共生关系识别以及高质量发展提供了参考和借鉴。     

基于土地利用视角的乡村居业协同多尺度分析——以徐州市为例

“乡村振兴”战略是解决城乡发展不协调、乡村发展不充分问题的重要抓手。居业协同作为乡村人居融合发展的高级形态,其程度能够反映乡村振兴的质量与成效。采用土地利用数据从结构和利用两个维度探索淮海经济区中心城市徐州三个尺度下的居业协同格局,结果表明：（1）徐州市土地在供给方面表现出居业失衡,宅基地供给相对于经营性建设用地优势明显;但由于使用中宅基地的空废,二者利用状态表现得更协同。（2）不同空间尺度下,居业协同状态有所差异,其中乡镇尺度居业空间关系较为稳定,基本维持相对平衡,本文认为乡镇是土地资源配置、实施乡村振兴战略的最佳尺度。（3）后续研究中,居业用地适宜的比例及农用地对居业协同的影响都需要进一步探索。     

The dynamics of industrial symbiosis: a proposal for a conceptual framework based upon a comprehensive literature review

There is increasing evidence that throughout the world, firms, governmental agencies and NGOs are seeking to stimulate industrial symbiosis. This concept and its application have also been the topic of extensive research. Up till now, this work lacks a more comprehensive theoretical framework, and this paper fills this gap. We provide a theoretical basis for understanding the dynamics through which regional industrial systems change their connectiveness in an attempt to reduce their ecological impact. We position our framework within the field of industrial symbiosis based on a comprehensive literature search in the ISI Web of Science database for publications that listed ‘industrial symbiosis’, ‘eco-industrial park’, or a combination of ‘industrial-ecology’ and ‘regional’ as a topic.The framework conceptualizes industrial symbiosis as a process at two levels: (1) the level of the regional industrial system (RIS), and (2) the societal level where the concept and routines of industrial symbiosis diffuse. We link the dynamics at these levels to changes in ecological impact and increase in institutional capacity. We conclude with a research agenda based on the variables and their basic relationships specified in our framework. The main line of research we propose is to systematically investigate how institutional capacity evolves over time in regional industrial systems and how it affects the ecological impact of such systems. We also propose to investigate how insights from existing literature about stimulating and impeding factors to industrial symbiosis can be understood in terms of mechanisms of transmission and how these mechanisms interact to create nationally distinct patterns of diffusion of industrial symbiosis.     

工业固体废物生命周期管理方法及案例分析

通过分析工业固体废物管理过程与工业生产过程间的耦合关系,提出了涵盖减量化过程的工业固体废物生命周期管理框架和方法,并应用于铜渣管理的方案评估与决策过程中.结果表明,铜渣3种不同管理方案的环境负荷值依次为2800.46,2156.00,2162.04Pt.与熔池熔炼法相比,闪速熔炼法虽有利于铜渣的源头减量,但其减少的铜渣量并未导致精铜生产与铜渣管理全过程环境影响的整体下降.单从铜渣的内部再循环工艺来看,处理同样数量的铜渣,选矿法的环境表现优于电炉贫化法.案例研究证实了工业固体废物管理应将减量化过程纳入全生命周期管理方案中进行综合评估,而非简单遵循废物管理的优先顺序和等级制度.     

Technology-based industrial environmental management: a case study of electroplating in Shenzhen,China

Severe industrial pollution has largely hindered the sustainable development of China. Taking Shenzhen’s electroplating industry as a case, this article investigates the current status of the industry and proposes a specialized policy framework to push its environmental innovation. There is a relatively complete environmental management system in Shenzhen’s government, but it does not work well when dealing with the electroplating industry, mainly because it lacks regulation aiming at production technology, which is the underlying decisive factor of the environmental performance of the industry. So, we first develop an evaluation criterion, which incorporates a technological index about whether enterprises engage identified obsolete technologies. With this evaluation criterion, enterprises are classified into “advanced” and “obsolete”. Then, we propose specific policy suggestions for different types of enterprises, including command and control mixed with economic tools, voluntary agreements, establishing electroplating parks, and improving current management system. Finally, we assess the impact of the policy proposal and prove it to be conducive to the sustainable development of the industry and conclude it from a more general perspective.     

Counting biodiversity waste in industrial eco-efficiency: fisheries case study

The foundation for the creation of eco-efficiency metrics for industrial impacts on biodiversity is considered. Because biodiversity is the essence of life itself, these metrics are essential for effectiveness in the theory and practice of eco-efficiency, particularly in the case of primary natural resource extraction industries such as fishing and forestry. The case of fishing is examined, with particular attention to by-catch, lost nets, and habitat damage caused by mobile fishing gears. It is appropriate to examine fishing because industrial era impacts on marine biodiversity have been severe and are driving large and deleterious changes in marine ecosystems. For discarded by-catch, it is proposed that an eco-efficient metric for the value per unit mass of discarded fish can be set to be equivalent to that of the market value of the utilized catch. In estimating the eco-efficient value of the catch, the value of the discarded fish is then subtracted from the market value of the catch. Fish killed in lost nets can be treated similarly. It is more difficult to address marine habitat damage by mobile fishing gear, which has the highest potential for ecological injury.By using the approach proposed, negative eco-efficiencies are obtained under circumstances in which the collateral damage to biodiversity exceeds the economic benefit obtained. This is a logical outcome given the long-term effects of biodiversity decline. A metric is also proposed for assessing whether avoidance of harm to biodiversity, in the form of switching fishing gear, is required. Lastly it is proposed that metrics might be developed to provide eco-efficiency credit for companies taking effective actions to improve, or actively participate in, ecosystem-based fisheries management.     

青藏高原产业发展的交通运输门槛研究

利用比较优势发展地区经济是促进地区经济增长的有效途径 ,运输条件的优劣和运输费用的高低是关键因素。众所周知 ,交通运输对青藏高原地区经济发展的影响非常突出 ,处理好产业发展与交通运输间的关系 ,有利于高原地区经济的健康发展。论文利用交通运输门槛理论 ,分析了高原地区资源开发的优势、产业发展方向以及合理的地区布局 ;提出了集中开发优势矿产 ,发展占领本地市场和开拓外部市场的优势轻工业 ,大力降低运输成本以提高产品竞争能力等观点。地域发展上 ,应采取非均衡发展的战略 ,集中发展河湟谷地、柴达木盆地和“一江两河”地区。     

城市工业区环境系统中的Cd污染循环及其健康风险——以杭州市半山工业区为例

为揭示重金属元素Cd在城市环境系统多种介质中的迁移途径及其潜在危害性,系统分析了杭州市半山工业区主要环境介质（土壤-尘埃-水-底泥-生物）样品中Cd的指标含量,并用连续提取法分析了土壤、尘埃、底泥中Cd的化学形态特征.结果表明,Cd的迁移途径主要有两种,一是以尘埃为媒介在地表环境中迁移,二是通过水介质进入水体环境（水和...     

Experiences from early stages of a national industrial symbiosis programme in the UK: determinants and coordination challenges

This paper reviews the factors influencing the development and sustained operation of regional industrial symbiosis (IS) networks and discusses the roles a coordination body can play to alter these factors so as to catalyse the development and functioning of such networks. These are analysed within the context of experiences gained in the early stages of three regional IS programmes under development in the UK, and of the recently launched national IS programme (NISP) that they are part of. It is stated that the policy framework in the UK has elements supportive of such networks to evolve, and the regional public bodies are favouring their development. Based on differences among studied cases, it is argued that the nature of companies’ operations and industrial history in the regions, the extent of peer pressure, the positioning of the coordinating body in the region, and its approach to awareness raising and recruitment have major influence on the progress of the programmes. Finally, the paper emphasises the importance of aligning the characteristics of emerging operations with the longer-term sustainability requirements. If accepted, this challenge assigns additional responsibilities to the coordinating parties.     

可持续发展评价指标(体系)及其确定方法的探讨

通过对目前已有的可持续发展指标体系的研究,指出现有指标体系忽略了可持续性内涵、环境的限制作用、社会公平性及经济增长的影响作用等主要内容．提出采用离差法来计算可持续发展评价指标．建议采用限制型指标、发展型指标、协调型指标来评价系统的可持续性;标准值或参考值采用反映系统不可持续性状态的底线值以及反映整个人类状况的全球、区域或国家现时平均值．同时还提出了不可持续性标准值、不可持续状态、远离不可持续状态、迈进可持续发展过程等概念．强调单项指标的重要性,指出单项指标离差度对系统可持续性的指示作用．     

A simple sequential approach for designing industrial wastewater treatment networks

This paper addresses design of wastewater treatment network (WWTN) by hybrid approach. This is a sequential method applying insight-based techniques followed by mathematical programming. The water pinch analysis and wastewater degradation concepts are employed to develop an initial structure. Based on this solution a superstructure is created. The superstructure is the starting point for nonlinear optimisation. The decision variables are both structure of junctions (mixers and splitters) and flow rates. The optimisation model is solved by a simple but robust optimisation algorithm. The design approach can be used for synthesis and also, under some conditions, for retrofit of wastewater treatment networks. The efficiency and robustness of the approach is illustrated using literature examples and industrial cases.