Analysing the evolution of industrial ecosystems: concepts and application

Industrial ecology and the industrial ecosystem approach (IE) are emerging concepts in ecological economics, environmental policy and corporate environmental management. The natural ecosystem model of diverse recycling and cascading material and energy flow systems has been used in industrial systems that are contrasting to this, operating with linear flows and unsustainable. Understanding the evolution of industrial systems over time toward sustainable or unsustainable ways of operating is important for learning about environmental performance analyses as well as for future planning of policy and management. The evolution over time of the Uimaharju forest industry park in Eastern Finland is studied. First, the system development is described by identifying the number of IE-type 'roundput' material and energy flows denoting waste utilisation and sustainable use of renewables. Second, development of the system over time is shown in terms of the number of the actors involved. This structural characteristic is termed system 'diversity'. Third, the relation of the two is considered. Fourth, the drivers of the case system development are discussed. Fifth, an initial effort is made to calculate some of the environmental effects of the system during its development. An increase in roundput and diversity over time is observed. Diversity is affecting roundput. The park tends to enlarge its activities outside the industrial park boundary over time. While the system illustrates high roundput and high diversity, we can only speculate if these characteristics contribute to sustainability, because of difficulties in system boundary definition.