A Classification of Industrial Symbiosis Networks: A Focus on Materials and Energy Recovery

Abstract

Abstract. Industrial symbiosis (IS) has gained more attention in the production economics as the pressure on companies increases for the reduction of waste emissions as well as of primary resources consumption. At present, as the number of IS initiatives increases, many issues about its boundaries, such as the entities involved and the resources shared/exchanged, still continue to remain open. A common classification of IS networks does still not exist.Input-output matching is the most significant tool to analyze IS. To this aim, we adopt an input-output approach for defining an IS network, and for proposing a classification model at the technical level (i.e. physical flow type, number of production chains involved, and network structure).The proposed approach is applied to several existing IS networks to describe as it works. This classification framework can be useful for companies to set strategies and for local government to plan policies.

A comprehensive review of industrial symbiosis

“…This definition has been transposed to industries in which industrial symbiosis "engages traditionally separate entities in a collective approach to competitive advantage involving physical exchange of materials, energy, water, and by-products" (Chertow, 2000). This definition is widely disseminated in the developing industrial ecological environment and research community (Albino et al, 2013). Posteriorly, industrial symbiosis was also identified as "a business opportunity and tool for eco-innovation" (Lombardi and Laybourn, 2012).…”

Quantifying CO2 emission reduction from industrial symbiosis in integrated steel mills in China

“…It was also emphasized that "the keys to industrial symbiosis are collaboration and the synergistic possibilities offered by geographic proximity" (Chertow, 2004). There are also studies discussing the ambiguity of the above definition and the space for diversified interpretations of industrial symbiosis (Albino et al, 2013;Golev and Corder, 2012;Lombardi and Laybourn, 2012). Industrial symbiosis in an integrated system can be divided into internal industrial symbiosis and external industrial symbiosis (Zhu et al, 2007).…”