A conceptual framework for eco - industrial parks.

Summary An eco-industrial park is a set of businesses that share resources in order to increase profitability and reduce environmental impact. The implementation of eco-industrial parks may significantly contribute to the creation of a sustainable economy. Despite this prospect , the actual development of eco-industrial parks is challenging , as a variety of factors must be considered. Not only technical , economic , and environmental factors are relevant but numerous stakeholder relationships as well , such as between firms , governmental bodies , and local communities. This paper presents a conceptual framework that is used to capture these diverse aspects and the relationships between them. The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is used for modeling its concepts and relationships. First , based on a literature survey , relevant concepts of eco-industrial parks are identified. One central concept is " industrial symbiosis ". A novel value-based interpretation of industrial symbiosis is presented. Second , the park ' s economic , local and regional development context , as well as its internal technical components and their relationships are modeled. Finally , the framework is used for modeling a concrete eco-industrial park , in this case part of the Kalundborg eco-industrial park .