Implementing Industrial Symbiosis and Environmental Management Systems in Tianjin Binhai New Area
Brief Description
China is still struggling to develop effective models of optimally utilizing the myriad of waste streams of SMEs, which are responsible for over 80% of industrial production in China. Industrial Symbiosis creates many synergistic effects for SMEs working together (e.g. in waste management). This approach is applied by a SWITCH-Asia project in the Tianjin Binhai New Area (hereinafter TBNA) in China. TBNA is a 2270 km2 cluster of industrial development zones with the highest concentration of industrial output in Northern China. With its rapid economic growth, TNBA is experiencing high levels of solid waste and pollution output. In 2007 alone, TBNA produced over 5 million tonnes of solid waste. It has over 400 companies that were identified as key polluting sources.
Industrial Symbiosis involves sharing of information, services, utility, and by-product resources among one or more industrial actors in order to add value, reduce costs and improve environmental performance. Industrial symbiosis is a subset of industrial ecology, with a particular focus on material and energy exchange.
The SWITCH-Asia project “Implementing Industrial Symbiosis and Environmental Management Systems” promotes sustainable production among SMEs in the TBNA by growing a large-scale industrial symbiosis network. It facilitates industrial symbiosis by embedding Environmental Management Systems among SMEs and greening local SME suppliers of multinationals.
The project aims to create a favorable policy environment for sustainable production and the sustainability of the industrial symbiosis network in TBNA, in Tianjin and across China.
News
April 2010
Funded by SWITCH-Asia Network, the TBNA Industrial Symbiosis Project was kicked started in TEDA in April 2010. This event marked a major milestone for low-carbon economy in Tianjin.
The project aims are:
• To create an industrial symbiosis network based on National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) methodologies in order to create 80 synergies.
• To promote ISO14001 certifications through dissemination materials, group training courses and 100 walk-through audits.
• To build adequate institutional and policy environments to ensure the overall sustainability of the industrial symbiosis network.
• To build capacity for a greener supply chain among big enterprises and offer training and education programs concerning environment management systems as well as swift environmental auditing.
• To pinpoint practical demands for environmental policy (circular economy in particular), and work to have such policies effected in TBNA.
March 2011
Tianjin TEDA Low-Carbon Economy Promotion Center (or ' TEDA Eco Center')
is a non-for-profit organization supported by the Administrative
Commission of TEDA (or TEDA AC) ; It is TEDA AC's latest initiative to
promote low-carbon development in the region; TEDA Eco Center was
formally established on the 23rd of March, 2010.TEDA Eco Center aims to
reconcile social, economical and environmental dimensions of sustainable
development through information service, business matching events and
international cooperation; it aims to become a one-stop service center
for low-carbon development, which is dedicated to become corporate,
institute and general public's partner to enhance their environmental
capacity, as well as their business competitiveness.
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