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Sustainability inspires and stimulates industrial ecology

Study highlights concept that emerged in the wake of environmental movements that foresees less dependence on non-renewable energy sources

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In Biology, a symbiotic relationship is one that is established between two or more species, and in this relationship there is an exchange of materials, energy or information, generating a beneficial solution for all participants. It was from this concept that the notion of industrial ecology emerged. It starts from the assumption that, just like in a biological ecosystem, the industrial process is a cycle through which energy and materials pass, so that the output of one industrial process can be the input of another. According to architect Thalita Dalbelo, coordinator of Unicamp's Integrated Master Plan, industrial ecology is related to the concept of sustainability in that it involves closed production cycles, with reduction or elimination of dependence on non-renewable energy sources. This is one of the concepts being considered in the planning of the International Hub for Sustainable Development (HIDS), an ongoing project, coordinated by Unicamp, which envisages the creation of a sustainable district in the Fazenda Argentina area and which includes the Ciatec 2 area. A specialist on the topic, Dalbelo is the author of the chapter on industrial ecology of Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Industry, Innovation and InfrastructureD, published this month, written in partnership with Emília Rutkowski, professor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture (FEC). The concept of industrial ecology emerged in the wake of the environmental movements that intensified in the 1970s and gained momentum with the United Nations Environment Program. According to Dalbelo, this field of study was born motivated by the possibility of developing industrial production methods with less impact on the environment. “As a result, new technologies and tools are beginning to be designed to make this industrial production model viable, for example, to reduce pollution, new materials, life cycle analysis, environmental design and new materials technologies”, he says.

Photo: Scarpa
Architect Thalita Dalbelo, coordinator of Unicamp's Integrated Master Plan: “To maintain the continuous flow of materials and energy, production must be constant”

The industry cannot be seen as a system isolated from its surroundings. “One of the key points of industrial ecology is a systemic view of industrial interactions and the environment. This implies changing processes from linear processes to cyclical production processes, optimizing the use of energy and resources and eliminating unnecessary losses”, points out the architect.


The symbiosis

One of the pioneering cases of applying the principles of industrial ecology is the industrial cluster in the municipality of Kalundborg, Denmark. There, a group of nine large companies operate in a system in which more than 30 products are exchanged between them. For example, excess gas from an oil refinery's processes is treated to remove sulfur, which in turn is used to manufacture sulfuric acid, used by two other industries in the cluster. In another case, production residue from a pharmaceutical industry, in the form of biomass, is used as fertilizer by farms in the region. Kalungborg's urban symbiosis has influenced parks around the world, from the United States to Japan.


Challenges

In the early 2000s, there was an initiative to implement an industrial ecology project in Rio de Janeiro. Four eco-industrial parks were created, but the project was not continued. “There are countless challenges to maintaining a project like this. Financial and tax incentives, supportive public policies and a lasting pact between the actors involved. To maintain the continuous flow of materials and energy, production must be constant. When one of the actors loses interest in the model, collapse is certain”, explains Dalbelo.

Correct design and planning can speed up model application. According to Dalbelo, the project begins with choosing a good location, considering solar orientation, winds and topography. The use of renewable energy sources and the reuse of rainwater are also recommended, as well as the use of low-impact materials. “Planners of eco-industrial parks must consider, above all, the principles of ecosystems and think about the whole, not just the industrial lot. This is essential to encourage the exchange of by-products and services between industries”, he concludes.

 

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Audio description: montage with two superimposed images, the first of which is in perspective and of a bust, of a woman standing, on the right of the image, and looking to the left. She speaks and gestures with her hands, keeping her arms folded in front of her body, with her open hands almost touching each other, as if holding a sphere. She wears a purple wool coat. In the other photo, occupying the entire background of the image, an aerial shot of a cluster of industries and the sea advancing on part of the continent. Image 1 of 1

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