Premium
Industrial Ecosystem Development at the Metropolitan Level
Author(s) -
Kincaid Judy,
Overcash Michael
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of industrial ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.377
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1530-9290
pISSN - 1088-1980
DOI - 10.1162/108819801753358535
Subject(s) - metropolitan area , facilitator , business , reuse , agency (philosophy) , industrial ecology , usable , environmental resource management , environmental planning , sustainability , geography , environmental science , engineering , computer science , epistemology , world wide web , political science , law , biology , waste management , ecology , philosophy , archaeology
Summary This article presents the result of a two‐year project funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to identify potential by‐products partnerships between industries in a six‐county metropolitan area in North Carolina, U.S.A. The project gathered data from 182 industries and institutions in the region regarding (1) by‐products that might be usable by other, nearby firms, and (2) the inputs they used that might be furnished from another facility's by‐products. These data, which were also linked to geographic information system maps, were used to identify potential regional partnerships for the reuse of materials, water, and energy. Of the 182 participating facilities, probable or possible partnerships were found for 48% during the limited project period. This project demonstrated the value of a local facilitator and the value of specific techniques for identifying and promoting potential by‐products partnerships.