A COMPARISON OF THE UPTAKE AND IMPACT OF INDUSTRIAL SYMBIOSIS IN THE FOOD & BEVERAGES, METALS & ENGINEERGING AND CHEMICALS SECTORS WITHIN THE WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE OF SOUTH AFRICA

Industrial Symbiosis (IS) is a relatively new concept in South Africa, put in practice, amongst others, by the Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP). The programme is delivered by GreenCape, a sector development... [ view full abstract ]

Industrial Symbiosis (IS) is a relatively new concept in South Africa, put in practice, amongst others, by the Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP). The programme is delivered by GreenCape, a sector development agency in the Western Cape province, and based on International Synergies Limited’s (ISL) United Kingdom (UK) National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP). It aims to improve resource efficiency in the manufacturing industry, generating business benefits for its members, whilst also reducing the carbon intensity of the manufacturing sector, diverting waste from landfill and creating jobs. The majority of WISP’s network is located in the greater Cape Town metropolitan area, the most industrially dense area of the Western Cape province.

WISP has taken a sector focus, rather than a materials focus within the manufacturing industry, where facilitators are allocated specific sectors within the manufacturing industry to develop relationships and assist members to implement resource exchanges (synergies). Food & beverages, metals & engineering and chemicals (as subset of the petroleum, chemicals, rubber & plastic) are three of the largest industries in the area, contributing 28%, 13%, 21% respectively to Relative Value Add in the secondary sector in the Western Cape province (Laubsher, 2011). As such these three sectors have been, and continue to be, primary focus areas for the WISP programme. Insights gained by WISP facilitators over the last four years, indicates that the sectors differ widely in terms of production processes, and therefore also have a wide range of residual resources. As a result, the nature and dynamics of industrial symbiosis between these sectors have also differed. This paper compares the potential and observed uptake of industrial symbiosis across the food & beverages, metals & engineering, and chemicals sectors. This is assessed based on sector specific residual resources identified by the programme over the last four years, as well as residual resources common to all three sectors. The potential impact of industrial symbiosis within each sector is then compared based on estimated economic, environmental and social benefits. When compared to realised economic, environmental and social benefits it is observed that the real impact is much reduced compared to the estimated benefits.  The uptake of industrial symbiosis within these sectors is therefore compared based on observed enablers and barriers for industrial symbiosis within these sectors. Technical, social and economic enablers and barriers are discussed. Potential industrial symbiosis synergies, based on available residual resources within each sector, are categorised based on those synergies which are likely to be realised in the short, medium and long term. The estimated economic, environmental and social benefits for each sector and time horizon are also included. This paper also provides reflections on the benefits and drawbacks of a sector based approach to industrial symbiosis facilitation.