Quantifying potential industrial symbiosis : a case study of brick manufacturing

Abstract

Humanity is currently on an unsustainable path of growth and development. One tool to address sustainability in industrial activities is Industrial Symbiosis, which is the study of cooperation across industry boundaries to increase sustainability. Past efforts to generate these relationships have struggled. Central to these failures is the difficulty of identifying and motivating stakeholders. This thesis proposes a new approach to analysis that directly addresses these failures. The approach analyzes an entire domestic industry for attractive opportunities to cooperate. By making the profit of stakeholders the primary criteria for investigation, this approach identifies opportunities where existing incentives to cooperate are greatest. This research demonstrates the new approach in a case study of brick manufacturing in the United States. Through the use of life cycle assessment, geographic information systems, and decision analysis, this thesis identifies the brick manufacturing facilities that are most likely to gain substantial economic benefit from the use of processed glass cullet as a fluxing agent. Additionally, the analysis demonstrates that these economic benefits are connected to environmental benefit. The results of this case study indicate that the approach is not only feasible, but if it is transferable to other industries, it taps into a substantial competitive advantage for data rich manufacturing sectors like those in the United States. These economic benefits will also lead to increased environmental sustainability.