1. Role of Chemical Industry in Industrial Ecology
Dr. Parakrama Karunaratne
Department of Chemical & Process Engineering
University of Peradeniya

2. Outline Issues with Present approach
Concept of Industrial ecology & Symbiosis
Examples
IE and chemical Industry
Methodology
Barriers

3. Industry – For a growing population

4. Benefits...

5. But...

6. Degradation of the Environment ....

7. Chemical Related Accidents...

8. Depletion of Resources

9. Challenging Environmental Issues...

10. Learn from the best!

11. Nature.. A result of millions of years of evolution .

12. Nature..Full of interactions with mutual benefits (Symbiotic)

13. Nature..Some times deadly, but no large scale chemical stocks

14. Nature..There is nothing called waste

15. Nature..Material flow is cyclic

16. Learning from Nature... Biomimicry – Innovations emulating nature
Symbiosis – Mutually beneficial relationships
Industrial Ecology – using principles of natural systems, to improve industrial systems to reduce their impact on the natural environment as well

17. Industrial Ecology
Using principles of natural systems, to improve industrial systems so as to reduce their impact on the natural environment as well

18. Industrial Ecology- correspondence of Two Systems
Biosphere
Technosphere
Environment
Organism
Natural Product
Natural Selection
Ecosystem
Anabolism / Catabolism
Mutation and Selection
Succession
Adaptation
Food Web
Market
Company
Industrial Product
Competition
Eco-Industrial Park
Manufacturing / Waste Management
Design for Environment
Economic Growth
Innovation
Product Life Cycle
Wikipedia

19. Ecosystem principles in industrial ecosystems
Industrial system
Roundput
Recycling of matter
Cascading of energy
Diversity
Biodiversity
Diversity in species, organisms
Diversity in interdependency and co-operation Diversity in information
Diversity in actors, in interdependency and co-operation
Diversity in industrial input, output
Locality
Utilising local resources
Respecting the local natural limiting factors
Local interdependency, co-operation
Co-operation between local actors
Gradual change
Evolution using solar energy
Evolution through reproduction
Cyclical time, seasonal time Slow time rates in the development of system diversity
Using waste material and energy, renewable resources
Gradual development of the system diversity
Only first principle is applied to a limited extent at present
J. Korhonen / Journal of Cleaner Production 9 (2001) 253–259

20. IE at present... At a primitive stage of evolution
Only first principle is applied to a limited extent (No waste in nature).
Making linear material flows circular
Use of waste materials and energy from one company as the input for another. (By-product Synergy)
Mostly systems evolves around an major industry such as refinery, power plant, or cement plant

21. Types of material and energy loops
Type 1: classical recycling system of products at the end of their life, implying an interface collector and seller (household waste recycling systems)
Type 2: material and energy flow loop system within a factory or a company (Sugar factory)
Type 3: material and energy exchange system between neighbouring companies within a defined zone
Type 4: material and energy exchange system between local companies but not neighbouring (Kalundborg)
Type 5: material and energy exchange system between companies organized “virtually” at the scale of a region (North Carolina, Tampico)

22. Examples..

24. Benefits

25. Norrköping Industrial Symbiosis Network

26. Styria Recycling System

27. Hazardous Chemical Industry and IE
Mainly act as a donor rather than a receptor
Meeting purity and cost requirements is a challenge
Process changes to donor and receptor companies may be necessary
Probably processes mediation is needed between the donor and the receptor to modify waste of donor to meet receptor requirements
Needs R&D. Universities has played a vital role in IEP developments
System perspective is the key

28. Hazardous Chemical Industry and IE
Recovery of solvents by intermediate parties take place
Leading chemical companies actively engaged in R&D, (Dow with EPA etc.,)
Will be forced to follow initiative like IE due to depleting resources and tightening regulations. Ignored problems would come knocking on your door one day!

29. Examples -Dow
Forty Dow Chemical manufacturing units, including chemical, plastic, and agricultural products at six Gulf Coast facilities, participated in an intra-company BPS Network
Discovered 27 potential synergy opportunities involving six different technologies, translating to $15 million in potential annual cost savings
Diverted wastes include volatile materials such as spent solvents and hydrocarbons, sodium hydroxide by-products, sulfuric acid wastes, and hydrogen by-products

30. Other Examples Use of spent NaOH (recovered) in Kraft paper process
Rinse Styrene in Plastic industry as Resurfacing Material
Sulphur Dioxide Scrubber By-Products to Primary Ingredient in Gypsum
Waste Sulphuric acid used in wastewater pH adjustments
Steel slag used as a raw material for cement
EEREnformaton Center

31. Overall Benefits Increased revenues from by-product sales
Reduction in waste disposal costs
Substitution of lower-cost, locally sourced recycled feedstocks
Reduction in solid waste and other environmental burdens
Reduction in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions
Reduced demand for virgin materials leading to resource conservation
Stimulation of regional entrepreneurship and economic development
Enhanced corporate reputation for sustainable practices
Interaction with other leading companies and technical experts

32. Conditions that enable the sustainability..IE
Nature is not subject to systematic increasing of concentrations of substances extracted from the Earth’s crust
Nature is not subject to systematic increasing of concentrations of substances produced by society
Nature is not subject to systematic increasing of degradation by physical means
Human needs are met worldwide

33. Waste management hierarchy
Prevent
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
Disposal
Receiver
Donor
IE should not be a life line for wasteful inefficient companies

34. Waste management principles
Priority should be for prevention and reduction
Inherent SHE, D4S,
Green Chemistry, Green engineering
Cleaner Production, Green Productivity
Chemical leasing

35. Method
Identify material flows within a industrial zone, area or region (MFA)
Zone/Area

36. Method Match possible input/outputs (Waste material and energy)
Zone/Area

37. Method 4. Start communication (Mediation may be needed) Facility 1

38. Method 4. Find out gaps and seek possible solutions Facility 1

39. Barriers...
Economic – No company wants IE unless it is a solution for their business problems
Technical - Purity/Purification
Lack of initial planning
Lack of pressure to change

40. Future... Technology improvement Customer pressure Depleting Resources
Industry IE
Policy/ Regulations

41. Summary IE is applying ecological principles for industrial systems
At present in a primitive stage of evolution. Abrupt interventions may not work, but fast forward evolution is needed
Chemical industry is a difficult species in the system, but can be a donor. Should be converted into resource efficient, inherently safe species
IE is a good framework for achieving decoupling of economic growth & material consumption, (circular economy) and sustainability

42. Thank you!