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Industrial ecology and some implications for rural SMEs

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  • Otto Andersen

Abstract

In a project at Western Norway Research Institute, the concept of industrial ecology (IE) is used as a framework for environmental performance of small‐ and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Norway. The main goal of the project ‘Green SMEs’ is to identify existing and future environmental challenges for rural SMEs. The focus is on external demands coming from the surroundings of the individual businesses. Examples of issues being dealt with are industrial wastes becoming sources of raw materials for other industries, design and material choice for disassembly and reuse, development of industrial ecosystems, and industrial metabolism. This paper presents actual examples of industrial ecosystems and also some cases illustrating the problems small remotely located firms meet when the principles of IE are to be applied. These problems include the inability to participate in efficient industrial ecosystems (webs) with exchange of wastes to raw materials. Larger companies, often being more centrally located, have greater chances at identifying and attracting other businesses which they can co‒operate with in finding usage for their wastes. The ‘cluster’‒properties of efficient industrial ecosystems can therefore be a limiting factor in the development of such systems in rural areas. Small companies also have less opportunities to be proactive in establishing industrial ecosystems also merely due to the smaller scale of their operations. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Otto Andersen, 1997. "Industrial ecology and some implications for rural SMEs," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 6(3), pages 146-152, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:6:y:1997:i:3:p:146-152
    DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1099-0836(199707)6:33.0.CO;2-Z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jacqueline Cramer, 1996. "Experiences With Implementing Integrated Chain Management In Dutch Industry," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(1), pages 38-47, March.
    2. World Commission on Environment and Development,, 1987. "Our Common Future," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192820808, Decembrie.
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    2. Xiaowei Chen & Tianyu Zhang & Fu Jia, 2020. "Industry convergence as a strategy for achieving sustainable development of agricultural complex: The case of Sandun‐Lanli in China," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(6), pages 2679-2694, September.
    3. Peter Dobers & Rolf Wolff, 2000. "Competing with ‘soft’ issues – from managing the environment to sustainable business strategies," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(3), pages 143-150, May.
    4. Marian R. Chertow & Koichi S. Kanaoka & Jooyoung Park, 2021. "Tracking the diffusion of industrial symbiosis scholarship using bibliometrics: Comparing across Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(4), pages 913-931, August.
    5. Petr Scholz & Ivica Linderová & Kristýna Konečná, 2020. "Green Management Tools as a Way to Sustainable Behaviour in the Hotel Industry: Case Study from Czechia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-23, December.

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