Nets of industrial symbiosis: possibilities among companies in the city of Diadema (São Paulo), Brazil

ABSTRACT

Cities with industrial clusters face several environmental and social problems related to industrial production, requiring solutions to reduce and prevent negative impacts from industrial activities. The objective of this work was to evaluate the possibility of applying the concept of industrial symbiosis, from the discipline of Industrial Ecology, in the municipality of Diadema, São Paulo State. The data related to the companies and their corresponding raw materials and wastes were collected from the municipality of Diadema website, in the “Register of Industries” section, and through internet searches. A total of 1,293 companies were identified in the municipality of Diadema and more than 2,100 potential interactions between companies, raw materials used and waste generated, both based on processes used in the current scenario, as well as on processes that may be adopted by companies that already exist in the municipality, in case they produce products from the same segment – 890 of the companies identified present at least one possibility of interaction. Furthermore, 32 different types of waste that can be reused have been accounted for, with emphasis on metals and plastics. Since the municipality of Diadema still does not have strategies aimed at the management of industrial wastes, this work can contribute to the elaboration of public policies aimed at industrial waste management in Diadema, and act as a starting point to help in the planning and environmental management by the municipal government. The information obtained in this study can also be useful to potential future development of industrial symbiosis strategies in other regions of Brazil.

Keywords:
industrial ecology; industrial symbiosis; cities; industrial waste; recycling