ACE - Eco-Partnerships Industrial Symbiosis Project

Hello again

I guess, most of us must be excited to go back to Kalundborg for the IS research symposium. At the same time, some of us (especially students) might not make it due to limited funds and we may have to make a choice between the ISIE conference and the IS symposium. Hope most of us will make it and the tradition of IS symposium continues with the same success as in the past.

On a separate note, I wish to inform you of a new IS initiative that is being launched in Scotland. Funded jointly by the University of Abertay, Dundee and the European Union to the value of 1.1 million, the IS initiative, known as ACE Eco-Partnerships, aims to explore opportunities for industrial symbiosis, where the wastes or outputs from one SME can be used by a neighbouring SME. More information about the project can be accessed through their website http://eco-partnerships.abertay.ac.uk/about_ace.htm

A press release detailing the launch of the ACE Eco-partnerships is available through the following link: News Release

Regards

Abhi

http://www.abhibiz.co.uk/

2009 and the UK-NISP

Hello Everyone

It is quite a while not to have posted any updates. I guess it is still not too late to wish you a productive 2009. I think all of us are looking forward to the ISIE and ISDR conferences in 2009. Unfortunately, they are very close to each other perhaps restricting some of us to attend both.

A good news is that we have few new members who have joined the blog recently making a total of 30 contributors. Your support is greatly appreciated. I would encourage you to write small entries and update about industrial symbiosis and waste / resource efficiency efforts in your respective areas and also to send details of any research projects you are involved with, papers recently published etc. to keep each other updated and perhaps to seek collaboration e.g. for conducting comparative studies.

Also it would be useful to send me any links that you think are relevant to this blog and/or any papers and / or reports on industrial symbiosis and I can upload these on the blog for easy access for all.

In the mean time I have a little update on NISP activities / strategies / scope below:


1. Intelligence Based Industrial Symbiosis

NISP is moving their focus from demand led approach to Intelligence Based Industrial Symbiosis. Regional Economic Development through the Intelligence Based Industrial Symbiosis (RED IBIS) is their next slogan. And this perhaps demonstrates the change in the NISP strategy that may be required for the continuation of funding in the UK and to introduce / market NISP services in other countries.

Peter Laybourn said:
“East Midlands Development Agency and Advantage West Midlands (in the UK) are among the first to recognise the potential of a RED IBIS type approach. The former has commissioned a study on resource mapping and the latter has commissioned market ‘intelligence' based IS for two industry sectors.

It is anticipated that if the UK adopts the full RED IBIS approach then countries that are already emulating NISP, such as China and Mexico, will follow suit based on the UK's learning experience.” Peter Laybourn*

2. Scope of NISP Activities

The UK National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) has been making significant efforts to transpose the UK IS model in other countries of the world. Some of the NISP initiatives that are taking place internationally are outlined by Peter Laybourn:

“Chicago is home to the US's first ‘UK style' IS programme, ‘Waste to Profit'. Run in conjunction with the City of Chicago, the United States Business Council for Sustainable Development (US BCSD) and the Chicago Manufacturing Center with support from NISP, it is now in its third year. The Chicago Waste to Profit Network aims to continue to grow and promote economic development for the whole State of Illinois.

The US BCSD is soon to meet the new President, Barack Obama, and present a proposal to establish and develop a national US IS scheme based on the UK model developed by NISP. If successful, this could catapult IS onto a widely visible world stage.

IS regional schemes have also been established in China, Mexico and Brazil. Lessons learned in the UK helped shape a ‘circular economy' initiative in the Yunnan Province of South West China.” Peter Laybourn**

3. NISP Synergy Workshop

I attended / assisted with ((actually hosted a table)) a NISP synergy workshop recently which was focused on identifying the “WANTS” and “HAVES” within the food and drinks sector. NISP being publicly funded, it was obviously a free event (with free lunch) for anyone to attend. It was attended by food sector professionals, environmental consultants, waste service providers (representatives of companies that provide services e.g. In-vessel composting, anaerobic digestion etc.). The approach used involved discussing and identifying the wants and haves of the companies and mixing and matching the use of by-products. Appears to be quite an effective approach overall and NISP claims to have identified 100 potential synergies. Now the question is how many of these go forward to fruition; and are we lacking in the cross-sectoral and thus innovation approach to IS as this approach just seems to link the waste producers to waste sorters? Am I understanding this right? Any views?

That’s all from me today. Hope you find this interesting to read. I look forward to any of your views on the above and any updates from your respective areas / countries.

Thank you for your support.

Best

Abhi

www.abhibiz.co.uk

References:

* Laybourn, Peter (2008) RED IBIS set to become second generation industrial symbiosis, Environmentalist, Issue No. 63 Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment

**Laybourn, Peter (2009) Industrial Symbiosis – coming to a country near you!, Environmentalist, Issue No. 71, Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment

Update on UK-NISP

Dear All

Just a quick update on NISP's achievements in the last 3 years. This also includes its present situation due to the funding cut however the news article displays great enthusiasm of NISP. In this news article NISP assures that a modest increase in funds could deliver in excess of 5% of the UK Government's commitment to the Kyoto Agreement by 2011. (What do you think?)

Between April 2005 and March 2008, NISP has:
• Diverted over 3.39 million tonnes of waste from landfill
• Reduced CO2 emissions by over 4.43 million tonnes
• Made over £89.2 million in cost savings for industry
• Generated £123.4 million in additional sales for industry
• Attracted over £110.0 million in private investment in reprocessing and recycling
• Avoided the use of 5.99 million tonnes of virgin materials
• Reduced the use of potable water by industry by over 9.22 million tonnes
• Eliminated 333,188 tonnes of hazardous waste
• Created and safeguarded 1870 others

NISP run by International Synergies Ltd of Birmingham - has had its Defra funding cut by about 40% for the next financial year. Due to this cut, a review of their operational structure is underway. This is perhaps resulting in a number of redundancies at NISP and their major sub-contractors. Some further details of this news are available in the article. . Budget cuts do not appear to be reflecting the past performance of NISP or any other BREW programmes. According to the government, strategic decisions have been made regarding allocation of funds and how they should be used to support businesses in the future. These cuts have appeared as a concern both to business and environment groups at a time when environmental agenda was gaining momentum among businesses in the UK. Business Groups claim that revenue collected from businesses through landfill tax should be returned to them through the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste Programme, which has been the case in the past. Detailed news on the funding cuts is available on the greenbiz website. Regardless of the funding cuts, it is clear that government recognises NISP to be a great contributor to business resource efficiency and therefore continues to fund it.

On a brighter note, Peter Laybourn confirms that along with success in the UK in last 3 years, international work is being very successful. He comments "We have now launched in Mexico and China and we anticipate work will commence in Brazil later this year along with South Africa"

There may be several other changes that will take place in the strategy and operations of NISP but for now the programme appears to be successfully moving forward both nationally and internationally.

This is just a quick update about NISP. Please drop a note if you have any other updated information or insight. I and all others would look forward to any comments regarding this post and regarding NISP, funding cuts and the UK Government's strategy.

I will be back with other news and updates shortly. You can also look forward to an update on IS efforts in Portugal which will be posted shortly by a precious contributor on the blog. Please provide update on IS efforts in your country or any other IS projects that you have been involved with. This will ensure that we all are well informed of IS projects around the world; most information is available on this blog for anyone interested in IS; and most importantly we can keep in touch.

Regards

Abhi
http://www.abhibiz.co.uk