industrial ecology (part of the green supply chain series)
TRANSCRIPT
Inspired by SOAS CeDEP study programmes.Presentation © 2011 by Darren Willman.
INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY(PART OF THE GREEN SUPPLY
CHAIN SERIES)
Tuesday 18 April 2023 1 of 18
Inspired by SOAS CeDEP study programmes.Presentation © 2011 by Darren Willman.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
› Introduce the basic definition and concepts of industrial ecology› Introduce to industrial symbiosis, its advantages and opportunities› Demonstrate that industrial symbiosis is created best through self-
organising, like the example of Kalundborg› Give basic introductions to the headway made by academics in
modelling industrial symbiosis and other minor aspects
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Inspired by SOAS CeDEP study programmes.Presentation © 2011 by Darren Willman.
Tuesday 18 April 2023
Industrial ecology is a pretty sophisticated supply chain strategy
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…
Business as usual
Supplier managemen
t
Green Purchasing
Life Cycle Assessment
(LCA)
Industrial Ecology
(IE)
Extended Producer
Resp.(EPR)
Inspired by SOAS CeDEP study programmes.Presentation © 2011 by Darren Willman.
Tuesday 18 April 2023
Consider it a Life Cycle Assessment applied to the whole business
› Life Cycle Assessment = products› Industrial Ecology = whole organisation
› Frosch & Gallapoulos, 1989:› “The use of energies and materials is optimised, wastes
and pollution is minimised and there is an economically viable role for every product of a manufacturing process.”
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Inspired by SOAS CeDEP study programmes.Presentation © 2011 by Darren Willman.
Tuesday 18 April 2023
Broadly speaking, there are 6 elements to this concept
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Tibbs’ 6 elements of Industrial Ecology
Tibbs’ 6 elements of Industrial Ecology
Creating industrial ecology
Long-term policy
alignment
Balancing input and output to
natural capacity
Promote renewables,
discourage non-renewable
Dematerialisati-on of industrial
output
Changing industrial
processes to emulate natural
ones
Inspired by SOAS CeDEP study programmes.Presentation © 2011 by Darren Willman.
Tuesday 18 April 2023
Elements which command a very different type of organisation
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Images from abc.net.au and wikipedia.org
Traditional industrial systemTraditional industrial system
› Non-renewable energy and fossil fuels
› Depletion of natural resource stocks› Generation of waste, emissions and
pollution› Too much for the natural
environment to assimilate
› Material cycles and energy cascades› Renewable energy and resources› Utilisation of waste and by-products› Cooperative networks comprising of
different organisations and industries
› Substitution of fossil fuel to zero emission energy
› Full elimination of waste› Transition of waste to a resource of
value
Vision of industrial ecologyVision of industrial ecology
Inspired by SOAS CeDEP study programmes.Presentation © 2011 by Darren Willman.
Tuesday 18 April 2023
Industrial symbiosis is the practical business approach to achieving IE
› i.e. using industrial ecology for economic/business reasons such as reducing costs or increasing revenues
› Waste is expensive:› Initial purchase… Wasted unused resource… Disposal!
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Everything coming into the company is
a COST
Everything that leaves the company is an
OPPORTUNITY TO SELL
Inspired by SOAS CeDEP study programmes.Presentation © 2011 by Darren Willman.
Tuesday 18 April 2023
It is a compelling business strategy centred on 4 main benefits
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Motivations
Improve long-term resource scarcity
Regulatory pressure for efficiency New business opportunities
To reduce costs or increase revenue
Inspired by SOAS CeDEP study programmes.Presentation © 2011 by Darren Willman.
Tuesday 18 April 2023
Obtainable around 3 main opportunities or approaches
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By-product reuse
By-product reuse
Exchange of materials between 2+ parties for use as substitutes for materials
Utility or infrastructure
sharing
Utility or infrastructure
sharing
Pooled use and management of commonly used resources such as energy, water and waste-water
Joint provision of services
Joint provision of services
Meeting common needs across firms for ancillary services such as fire suppression, transportation and food provision
Inspired by SOAS CeDEP study programmes.Presentation © 2011 by Darren Willman.
Tuesday 18 April 2023
The best way to create industrial symbiosis is to let it organise itself
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Industrial symbiosis
ñ A conscious effortñ Identifies different industries
and locates them togetherñ Forms stakeholder groups to
guide the process and influence planning
Planned model
ñ Emerges from economically driven choices by private actors
ñ Starts slowly, expands graduallyñ Organisations are not at all
conscious that they are creating an industrial symbiosis!
Self organising
This one is by far the most successful
But stakeholder groups are also essential
Inspired by SOAS CeDEP study programmes.Presentation © 2011 by Darren Willman.
Tuesday 18 April 2023
Kalundborg is the world’s best example of this
› Kalundborg, Denmark› Started in 1970’s and
80’s› Was not about creating
something new and innovative, it was simply about exploiting mutually beneficial business opportunities
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Image from Bruce Chung / asknature.org
Inspired by SOAS CeDEP study programmes.Presentation © 2011 by Darren Willman.
Tuesday 18 April 2023
These partnerships arose naturally, for mutual economic benefit
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Liquid fertiliser production
Statoil refinery
BPG Gyproc A/S wall-board plant
Lake Tisso
Fish farming
Farms
Novo Nordisk A/SNovozymes A/SPharmaceuticals
Cement and roads
A-S Soilrem
Municipality of Kalundborg
Energy E2 Asnaes Power
Station
Sulfur
Water
Water
WaterHeat
Organic residue
Sludge & Yeast
slurry
Steam
Steam &
Boiled water
Backup gas
Scrubber
sludge
Cooling water
& waste
Heat
Fly ash
SludgeHot w
ater
Inspired by SOAS CeDEP study programmes.Presentation © 2011 by Darren Willman.
Tuesday 18 April 2023
IS is quite unsuited to modelling, but experts have still tried
› They are therefore incredibly difficult to find and create models for, but people have still tried…
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“Organisations are not at all conscious that they are creating an industrial symbiosis!”
Coordination driven by regional
efficiency
Partners share knowledge on sustainability
Formation of a sustainable
industrial district
Initiation & pilot Development Uncovering event
Model#1
Model#2
Inspired by SOAS CeDEP study programmes.Presentation © 2011 by Darren Willman.
Tuesday 18 April 2023
Experts have identified, however, what makes waste suitable for IS
› Technical specifications of the resource› Its availability (in terms of quantity and timing)› Whether additional processing is necessary› Any delivery costs› Impact of new materials› Consistency of waste product (i.e. the certainty that
it will be sufficient)
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Inspired by SOAS CeDEP study programmes.Presentation © 2011 by Darren Willman.
Tuesday 18 April 2023
Various case studies have identified common barriers to adoption
› How organisations are organised› Operations, finances, behaviours, structures, etc.› i.e. difficult to organise
› Potential negative externalities› Few opportunities› The suitability of waste reuse and/or sharing
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Image from premierbarriers.co.uk
Inspired by SOAS CeDEP study programmes.Presentation © 2011 by Darren Willman.
Tuesday 18 April 2023
And some have advised government for how to support them
› Facilitate the establishment of stakeholder support groups
› Bring to light resource exchanges that are not yet known
› Support exchanges taking shape› Provide incentives
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Inspired by SOAS CeDEP study programmes.Presentation © 2011 by Darren Willman.
Tuesday 18 April 2023
REFERENCES
Unit 7 Course Material, Managing Social and Environmental Responsibility, 2011, SOAS CEDEPVogel, 2005, The Market for VirtueChertow, 2007, Uncovering Industrial SymbiosisWelford & Frost, 2006, Corporate social responsibility in Asian supply chains
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Inspired by SOAS CeDEP study programmes.Presentation © 2011 by Darren Willman.
Tuesday 18 April 2023
REFERENCES
Unit 7 Course Material, Environmental Auditing and Environmental Management Systems, 2011, SOAS CEDEPFinkbeiner, Inaba, Tan, Christiansen & Kluppel, 2006, The new international standards for life cycle assessment: ISO 14040 and ISO 14044
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