Completing the industrial ecology cascade chain in the case of a paper industry - SME potential in industrial ecology

Abstract

The concept of industrial ecology (IE) adopts the ecosystem principle of roundput in human industrial systems as the emphasis is on the utilization of wastes between different industrial actors. IE faces new challenges, as the emission and waste structures of the industrial world are continuously changing and the importance of the latter steps of the industrial material flows, i.e. the ‘consumption emissions’, is increasing. There is also a lack of waste processors and handlers in these latter steps. This paper considers the IE thesis by focusing on the cascade chain of the paper industry. It is suggested here that SMEs can serve as potential participants in industrial ecosystems, for example as waste processors and waste handlers. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment