We are overwhelmed of applications this year

Thousands of tonnes of sand exchanged in the dawn, a few megawatts valued at Dunkirk, peelings of potatoes end up electricity in Belgium. Twenty years after its formulation by two engineers, ecology industrial is not a failure but there are few plants to the practice with orthodoxy. She promised to apply to the industrial production process of similar efficacy to the symbiosis of biological ecosystems where nothing not to spoil, nothing is lost. Discharges of matter or energy of a company were to be used to fuel the process of another plant, itself connecting its outflow elsewhere.

Pooling of services

The concept has yet not lost his seduction and elegance, especially that the economy is now circular. Suren Erkman, European mentor of industrial ecology, "there are a lot of operations but they do not necessarily claim of industrial ecology." We also probably too focused initially on industrial symbiosis. "Its application has proved complicated." Experts cite several failures, such as the Lyons Valley of chemistry. Between 2008 and 2009, eleven industrial sponsored comprehensive study of the flow of the Valley without that it leads to actions of magnitude. "Even when it has detected such synergies, is not obvious to apply." "It remains difficulties to cooperate actors, legal roadblocks, etc.", supports Suren Erkman.

Before the complexity of the subject, supporters of industrial ecology have since curbed their ambitions by insisting on the sharing of services. This approach has helped actors of Ecopal, Dunkirk, learn to know sharing paper collection of archive for example.

Identify synergies

Industrial ecology is known at the time a new start. "We are overwhelmed of applications this year." "It is the result of the round table, which has promoted the circular economy but also of our awareness campaigns," assures Paul Schalchli, expert in edge. This environmental association, which brings together companies and local communities, has become the moderator of the French experiments. "Currently, we follow about 25 projects, including a dozen closely," says Paul Schalchli. Cyril Adoue, one of the pioneers French and founder of the Office to study systems sustainable, also recorded a high activity for more than a year and a half: "we sold the dream with the symbiosis in the early 2000s, but we have today a know-how and tools to act." "It is also the effect of the crisis, politicians questioned the fate of their territories and see in industrial ecology an original way develop economically. "Until recently, the evaluation of the flow of trade was at the guesstimated." "Recently, appear new tools to identify possible synergies on an area of activity", confirms Suren Erkman.

Two approaches are distinguished today. The first is to study the flow of water, of matter and energy at the scale of a territory - the "metabolism" say the experts. This allows to connect much more actors and of a different nature. There are more regions, communities of towns or cities who work on the subject. Including those who take advantage of the Comethe (edge and ANR) project or mission DGCIS of the Ministry of industry, funding more than 2 million euros for studies. For example, the mixed Union metropolis Savoie (103 communes) and the Chamber of commerce and industry, start the study of flow. Also include the communauté de communes Caux Vallée-de-Seine (Seine-Maritime), Plaine Commune (Seine-Saint-Denis) who wants to recharacterize a neighbourhood, or the plain of the Var.

International initiatives

Another approach, less rigorous but producing faster results, is to find synergies on a sample of 20 companies. There again, it is often a public operator which is the project, but on a smaller scale and with a goal of rapid and concrete actions. The town of Roanne is helping 10 companies in the agri-food sector and 10 others to share a méthaniseur. Other experiments are underway in Ille-et-Vilaine (Vitré community) or in Meurthe-et-Moselle.

Outside the France, this move also. Suren Erkmann, the most active country is Britain with the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme. This initiative was doped recycling revel and thousands of jobs have thus been generated. In China, the Government introduced a reduction in VAT to companies if such symbioses are implemented.