PF2303.

Materials Technology
Lecture 9: Industrial Ecology

Dr. Kua Harn Wei

Department of Building, School of Design & Environment, National University of Singapore

CONTENTS
Lecture objectives Growing consumptions Industrial ecology concept Industrial ecology methodologies
Urban metabolism Material flow analysis Industrial symbiosis Life cycle assessment Ecological rucksack

LECTURE OBJECTIVES
To understand the need for a biomimicry concept for our production and consumption system; To understand the basics of industrial ecology; To be familiar with different methodologies of industrial ecology.

Growing Populations and Scarce Resources

According to the UN, world population that was 2.5 billion in 1950, and 4.4 billion in 1980, rose to 6 billion in 2000. World population is projected to grow to about 8 billion in 2025. In 2050, the projected world population is 9.3 11 billion. It is believed almost all future population growth will occur in the developing world. The world will eventually need to feed, house and support about 5 billion additional people. This increased population, combined with higher standards of living, will pose enormous strains on land, water, energy and other natural resources.

Growing Populations

GLOBAL URBAN POPULATION AT A GLANCE

GLOBAL MEGACITIES AT A GLANCE

WORLD CONSUMPTIONS

Growing global resource demands are putting tremendous stresses on our environment

Source: http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/deforestation-2.jpg

Source: www.solidwaste.com

Source: http://environmentupdates.com/images/Reducing%20Pollution.jpg

ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT
Ecological footprint is the area of land and water required to support a defined economy or population at a specified standard of living (which is defined by certain levels of production and consumption).

The Beauty of Ecology

BRIEF HISTORY OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY

Industrial ecology was popularized in 1989 in a Scientific American article by Robert Frosch and Nicholas E. Gallopoulos; They asked, "why would not our industrial system behave like an ecosystem, where the wastes of a species may be resource to another species? Why would not the outputs of an industry be the inputs of another, thus reducing use of raw materials, pollution, and saving on waste treatment?

Drawing of analogies between natural and sociotechnical systems.

KEY IDEAS BEHIND INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY

Shifting of industrial processes from linear (open loop) systems, in which resource and capital investments move through the system to become waste, to a closed loop system where wastes become inputs for new processes (wastes equal food);
Approaches are usually:
Urban metabolism; Material and energy flow analysis; Eco-industrial parks (industrial symbiosis); Lifecycle assessment; Design for environment; Dematerialization and decarbonization; Extended producer responsibility; Eco-efficiency, and so on

www.hopkinsmedicine.org

Understanding Body Metabolism as a Way to Assess State of Health

A definition of Urban Metabolism

It is the description and analysis of the stocks and flows of the materials and energy within cities. It consists of a set of methodologies that considers the materials/energy inputs, outputs, and processes occurring within and across a geographical boundary. It assumes that by analyzing material and energy stocks and flows of a city, its state of sustainability can be assessed. It is a subset of Industrial Ecology.

What do we analyze?

Material Flow Analysis

www.sankey-diagrams.com

Substance Flow Analysis

Substance Flow Analysis of Cadmium (author: Troy Hawkins)

A special kind of urban metabolism industrial symbiosis

http://blogs.worldbank.org/files/eastasiapacific/hammarby600.jpg

PARTNERS IN KALUNDBORG ECOINDUSTRIAL PARK

Photos: Symbiosis Institute, Novo Nordisk, Statoil

Municipality

Novo Nordisk

Gyproc

Asns

Statoil

Farms

Water

Lake Tiss
Steam Water Water

Water

Fertiliser Industry
(NH4)2S2O3

Biomass & Yeast Slurry

Novo Nordisk
Steam

Statoil Refinery
Artificial Lake
Gas

Sulphur- and Ammonia-rich Effluents

Asns Power Station

Waste Water

Used Water

Gypsum Residual Heat

Fly Ash

Bioteknisk Jordrens
Sludge

Gyproc

Cement Industry
Nickel & Vanadium

Municipality of Kalundborg

Residual Heat

Fish Farms

Source: UNEP

Farms

Fertiliser Industry
(NH4)2S2O3

Biomass & Yeast Slurry

Novo Nordisk

Statoil Refinery
Gas

Sulphur- and Ammonia-rich Effluents

Asns Power Station

Waste Water

Used Water

Gypsum

Fly Ash

Bioteknisk Jordrens
Sludge

Gyproc

Cement Industry
Nickel & Vanadium

Municipality of Kalundborg

Source: UNEP

Water

Lake Tiss
Steam Water Water

Water

Novo Nordisk
Steam

Statoil Refinery Artificial Lake

Asns Power Station

Waste Water

Used Water

Municipality of Kalundborg

Source: UNEP

Novo Nordisk
Steam

Steam

Statoil Refinery
Gas

Asns Power Station

Residual Heat

Gyproc

Municipality of Kalundborg

Residual Heat

Fish Farms

Source: UNEP

Energy and material outputs; impacts caused by these outputs

Energy and material inputs; impacts caused by these inputs

Teo E. A. L., Lim G. M. (2010)

COMMON LIFE CYCLE STAGES

Conclusions
Growing world population is putting huge strains on the Earth system. Industrial ecology is a concept of sustainable consumption and production that stresses on resource efficiency and material loop-closing. There are different methodologies adopted for studies of industrial ecology. LCA is a key example.