Panel J: Dealing with S#*t
iii) Katelyn Harris, BASc, EIT
“Uncovering Industrial Symbiosis in the City of Guelph”
In the pursuit of economic and environmental sustainability, a community can make great progress by looking to natural ecosystems as a model. This involves developing networks with strong diversification and cooperation, using waste as a resource, and encouraging local supply and demand. The field of industrial symbiosis explores these concepts by looking at how traditionally isolated industries gain a competitive advantage through collaborative exchange and sharing of resources. Model industrial symbiosis involves an evolving diversified web of local firms that rely on each other for various feed and output streams involving resources such as by-products, energy, water, and services. This results in a decreased need for raw materials and waste disposal and an increase in associated revenue. According to Chertow (2000) “the keys to industrial symbiosis are collaboration and the synergistic possibilities offered by geographic proximity”.
This study presents a methodology to bring to light, or “uncover”, examples of local nascent industrial symbiosis, so that the level of symbiosis can be explored and the key players identified. In the second phase of the research, coordinating mechanisms will be explored to support further growth of the symbiotic network.
Chertow, M. R. 2000. Industrial Symbiosis: Literature and taxonomy. Annual Review of Energy and Environment 25: 313-337
