Role of Chemical Industry in Industrial Ecology

Dr. Parakrama Karunaratne Department of Chemical & Process Engineering

University of Peradeniya

Outline

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

Industry – For a growing population

Benefits...

But...

Degradation of the Environment ....

Chemical Related Accidents...

Depletion of Resources

http://www.visualcapitalist.com/forecast-when-well-run-out-of-each-metal/

Challenging Environmental Issues...

Learn from the best!

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

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

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

Nature..There is nothing called waste

Nature..Material flow is cyclic

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

Industrial Ecology

• Using principles of natural systems, to improve industrial systems so as to reduce their impact on the natural environment as well

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

Ecosystem principles in industrial ecosystemsEcosystem Industrial system

Roundput Recycling of matterCascading of energy

Roundput Recycling of matter Cascading of energy

Diversity Biodiversity Diversity in species, organisms Diversity in interdependency and co-operation Diversity in information

Diversity Diversity in actors, in interdependency and co-operationDiversity in industrial input, output

Locality Utilising local resources Respecting the local natural limiting factorsLocal interdependency, co-operation

Locality Utilising local resources Respecting the local natural limiting factors Co-operation between local actors

Gradual changeEvolution using solar energyEvolution through reproductionCyclical time, seasonal time Slow time rates in the development of system diversity

Gradual changeUsing waste material and energy, renewable resourcesGradual development of the system diversity

J. Korhonen / Journal of Cleaner Production 9 (2001) 253–259

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

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)

Examples..

Benefits

Norrköping Industrial Symbiosis Network

Styria Recycling System

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

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!

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

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 cementEEREnformaton Center

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

Conditions that enable the sustainability..

1. Nature is not subject to systematic increasing of concentrations of substances extracted from the Earth’s crust

2. Nature is not subject to systematic increasing of concentrations of substances produced by society

3. Nature is not subject to systematic increasing of degradation by physical means

4. Human needs are met worldwide

IE

Waste management hierarchy

Prevent

Reduce

Reuse

Recycle

Disposal

Receiver

Donor

IE should not be a life line for wasteful inefficient companies

Waste management principles

Priority should be for prevention and reduction

– Inherent SHE, D4S, – Green Chemistry, Green engineering– Cleaner Production, Green Productivity– Chemical leasing

Method

Zone/Area

1. Identify material flows within a industrial zone, area or region (MFA)

Method

Zone/Area

2. Match possible input/outputs (Waste material and energy)

Method

Facility 1 Facility 2

4. Start communication (Mediation may be needed)

Method

Facility 1 Facility 2

4. Find out gaps and seek possible solutions

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

IEIndustry

Policy/ Regulations

Customer pressure

Depleting Resources

Technology improvement

Future...

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

Thank you!