Industrial Symbiosis

The idea of industry finding uses for non-product outputs (by-products and waste) is not a new one (Desrochers 2000). Local context and incentives changed in the 20th century, however, and the practice fell out of favor due to cheap and abundant energy, resources and disposal options, subsidies that discouraged recycling, and regulations preventing re-use (Desrochers 2004). As the sustainable development agenda gained ground, other concerns led firms and governments to reconsider their strategies: increasing waste disposal costs, concerns over environmental degradation accompanied by stricter environmental regulations, and a growing awareness of the potential profits from by-product and waste utilization. The practical example of resource cycling between industrial facilities in Kalundborg, Denmark, came to the attention of the academic community (Ehrenfeld and Gertler 1997), generating substantial interest in what has become known as ‘industrial symbiosis’ (IS). In the intervening fifteen years, examples in which two or more otherwise unrelated industries develop a mutually beneficial relationship making productive use of otherwise underutilized resources (including materials, water and energy)i continue to be a topic of study. The phenomenon, and the research on it, is emblematic of the broader field of industrial ecology.