Circularity and Industrial Symbiosis: Tools for Efficient Resource Use.
On May 15th, partners from INDPULS gathered in a working session on Circular Economy and Industrial Symbiosis to identify collaboration opportunities to optimize resource use and reduce environmental impact. This initiative is part of INDPULS’s 2024 activity program focused on Circularity, New Materials, and Traceability challenges. The session was led by the company Símbiosy, notable for its ability to generate synergies among the participating companies and other agents of the industrial ecosystem, fostering sustainable practices and improving industrial efficiency.
Símbiosy is a consultancy that promotes industrial symbiosis and works with organizations to identify opportunities for reusing by-products, improving energy efficiency, and reducing emissions, thus contributing to sustainability and the circular economy.
Benefits of Industrial Symbiosis
Industrial Symbiosis is a strategy that encourages collaboration among companies so that the waste of some can become resources for others. This practice not only contributes to decarbonization and the reduction of environmental impact but also has positive effects in terms of social impact, territorial development, scalability, and business visibility.
Key Opportunities for Enhancing Sustainability
During the session, several key opportunities to improve sustainability and efficiency for the participating companies were identified. Some of these included:
- Promoting the Market for High-Quality Plastic Granules to substitute natural gas with biomethane and enhance the quality of recycled plastics.
- Engaging in Innovation and Manufacturing of Bioplastics to promote sustainable agriculture through the research of bioplastics derived from agricultural by-products.
- Replacing Shrink Film. To achieve this, suitable companies and by-products must be identified to replace shrink film with more sustainable alternatives.
- Valorizing Metals that are currently destined for landfills. Revalorizing steel packaging and high-density polyethylene, thereby reducing industrial waste.
- Managing Wastewater. Developing integrated solutions for the management and reuse of industrial wastewater, improving the efficiency and sustainability of water use.
This working session strengthens the environmental responsibility of the participating companies and underscores their commitment to creating synergies and collaborative relationships among industrial companies and startups in the association’s ecosystem.
