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Industrial Recycling Networks as Starting Points for Broader Sustainability‐Oriented Cooperation?

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  • Alfred Posch

Abstract

Closing loops by intercompany recycling of by‐products is a core theme of industrial ecology (IE). This article considers whether industrial recycling networks or industrial symbiosis projects can be used as a starting point for much broader intercompany cooperation for sustainable development. Evidence presented is based on the results of an empirical investigation of the recycling network Styria in Austria, the recycling network Oldenburger Münsterland in Germany, and the manufacturing sector in Austria. Statistical analysis shows that the percentage of by‐products that are passed on to other companies for recycling purposes is not higher in member companies of the recycling networks than in the other companies of the manufacturing sector in Austria. In terms of cooperation, the relationships with the respective recycling partners are found to be very similar to regular customer relations. Furthermore, the companies of the recycling networks remain unaware of the network to which they belong. Instead, one of the main findings of this study is that intercompany recycling activities are regarded by the company representatives as bilateral market transactions, not as collaborative network activities. This has potentially significant implications for the use of industrial symbiosis networks as starting points for sustainability networks with broader cooperation toward sustainability. The findings raise interesting questions as to whether such broader cooperation might result from a conscious planning process or might emerge largely spontaneously as part of normal market coordination. In any case, intercompany recycling is clearly considered to be a very important field of collaborative action for sustainability in industry.

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  • Alfred Posch, 2010. "Industrial Recycling Networks as Starting Points for Broader Sustainability‐Oriented Cooperation?," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 14(2), pages 242-257, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:14:y:2010:i:2:p:242-257
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2010.00231.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Fraccascia, Luca & Albino, Vito & Garavelli, Claudio A., 2017. "Technical efficiency measures of industrial symbiosis networks using enterprise input-output analysis," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 183(PA), pages 273-286.
    2. Hafiz Haq & Petri Välisuo & Seppo Niemi, 2021. "Modelling Sustainable Industrial Symbiosis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-16, February.
    3. Chen, Lujie & Olhager, Jan & Tang, Ou, 2014. "Manufacturing facility location and sustainability: A literature review and research agenda," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 154-163.
    4. Luca Fraccascia & Vahid Yazdanpanah & Guido Capelleveen & Devrim Murat Yazan, 2021. "Energy-based industrial symbiosis: a literature review for circular energy transition," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 4791-4825, April.
    5. David Carfí & Alessia Donato, 2021. "Environmental Management through Coopetitive Urban Waste Recycling in Eco-Industrial Parks," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(19), pages 1-30, October.
    6. Mohammad Ali Shariat & Soleyman Iranzadeh & Alireza Bafandeh Zendeh, 2017. "Identification and Classification of Effective Operational Plans on Sustainable Production Using Repertory Grid and Principal Component Analysis: A Case Study on Industrial Production Companies in Sem," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 7(6), pages 82-96.
    7. Alfred Posch & Abhishek Agarwal & Peter Strachan, 2011. "Editorial: Managing Industrial Symbiosis (IS) Networks," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(7), pages 421-427, November.
    8. Wiśniewska-Paluszak, Joanna A. & Paluszak, Grzegorz T., 2018. "The Features and Categorization of Agribusiness Networks on the Example of the Polish Fruit and Vegetable Industry Enterprises," 2018 International European Forum (163rd EAAE Seminar), February 5-9, 2018, Innsbruck-Igls, Austria 276858, International European Forum on System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks.
    9. 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.
    10. Brita Hermelin & Hans Rämö, 2017. "Intermediary activities and agendas of regional cleantech networks in Sweden," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 35(1), pages 130-146, February.

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