Industrial symbiosis (IS) is a key sub-field in industrial ecology. The field itself assists in developing strategies that support local and regional sustainable development. The evolution of IS is an important topic to be explored. In this paper, we use the system dynamics (SD) method to establish a model of the evolution of industrial symbiosis in the case of Hai Hua Industrial Symbiosis (HHIS). In this model, different scenarios for energy consumption, solid waste utilization, and wastewater utilization were set by changing the parameter values of certain input variables to analyze the evolution of HHIS. In addition, the drivers for IS evolution were investigated qualitatively in this study. The SD model was helpful for visualizing the effects and benefits of reducing the energy consumption, solid waste stock, and wastewater stock that were achieved by establishing symbiotic relationships during the evolution of IS. The results show that the optimization of energy and material flows and other symbiotic benefits can be achieved in HHIS. There are still some challenges that restrict the further evolution of HHIS. Some suggestions are proposed to promote its further evolution.

Identified as critical for sustainable development, ecosystem services are increasingly being put on the policy agendas of governments and corporations. China is now facing serious environmental challenges caused by losses of ecosystem services and recently has recognized that the country is reaching its environmental capacity. The circular economy (CE) has been positioned as a key strategy for national economic and social development by the national government as a way to resolve problems of resource depletion and environmental pollution. It will be increasingly critical to link ecosystem services to the CE. This means that the CE needs to be expanded to include restoration and regeneration of ecosystem services. This paper proposes a framework comprised of components including policies, governance, techniques and technologies, business development, key actors and support organizations for incorporating ecosystem services into the CE and focuses on industrial ecosystems, specifically eco-industrial parks (EIPs), as microcosms of a CE. Taking China as an example, this paper explores whether this framework can be applied to EIPs. The paper concludes that there are many opportunities to apply the framework to China’s EIPs.

Industrial symbiosis (IS) can contribute to achieving a win-win situation between industry and environment for local and regional circular economies. Many authors have recognized that a variety of barriers can hinder the implementation of IS. However, there is very limited research on quantitatively evaluating the IS barriers. In this paper, we propose a model which combines the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to evaluate the IS barriers semi-quantitatively. This model assists in identifying and prioritizing the fundamental barriers for implementation of IS in a comprehensive manner. An operating IS, the Hai Hua Group (HHG), in Shandong Province, China is used as a case study to test the proposed model. The results show that the top four generic barriers are technological barriers, economic barriers, safety barriers, and informational barriers. More specifically, the barriers are information platforms, human safety and health, technology involved with extending industrial chains, product added value, and costs. The paper concludes by discussing managerial implications for promoting the establishment and operation of IS.

Eco-industrial development projects are increasingly popular because of their ability to transform the traditional model of industrial parks into more sustainable forms of economic development. Still, few industrial parks worldwide have achieved the high degree of eco-transformation that characterizes eco-industrial parks (EIPs). Assessing the potential for eco-industrial development at the park or regional scale is an important step towards this goal. This study aimed to assess the potential for ecological development of a growing industrial park (Caledonia Industrial Estates (CIE), province of New Brunswick, Canada) following the principles of industrial ecology. A baseline survey of CIE businesses was conducted. The results were compared to results from similar assessments in three other industrial parks across Canada, located in Nova Scotia, Ontario and Saskatchewan. The main categories used for comparison were business variety and size, public transportation, green spaces, energy and material use, and environmental management organization. While showing that CIE has EIP potential, the results revealed similarities and differences between the industrial parks studied, some of which were related to barriers limiting the efficient use and sharing of resources. One way that was identified that could help CIE incorporate eco-industrial activities into their operations would be the appointment of an environmental management organization or a shared environmental manager. Strategies to foster EIP development, in general, are also identified. These findings, based on actual business experiences, can help determine which actions and activities are suitable for CIE and other business communities that consider eco-industrial development as their next phase. They are particularly relevant to industrial parks in a development or redevelopment phase.