Two quantitative indices for the planning and evaluation of eco-industrial parks

The paper describes the application of biological theory to an eco-industrial park (EIP), and provides support to some earlier research. Natural ecological theory is applied to the development of two indices by which to evaluate an EIP. The first index is the eco-connectance of an EIP that defines the degree of the connectivity among the enterprises or factories in an EIP; the second index defines the degree of byproduct and waste recycling in an EIP. The eco-connectances and the byproduct and waste recycling rates of selected EIPs were analyzed with the aid of theories that are proposed in the paper, and corresponding measures are put forward for planning and building of EIPs in the future.