Vessela Petrova

ABSTRACT. Circular economy is a key instrument for reducing climate change and transition to green economy. The industrial symbiosis is a circular business model – a concept, discussed as a platform for exchange of materials among business companies in order to achieve sustainability and reduce waste. “Shared use” of wastes as raw-materials results in multiple benefits – economic (reduction of cost to produce raw materials), environmental (reduction of generated waste, reduction of CO2 emissions, opportunities for applying the green policies), as well as social benefits (creating “green” job positons, support to local communities). A discussion is presented in the paper on industrial symbiosis as an important opportunity for developing a circular economy by the established business model. A survey among thirteen (13) companies from the mineral raw-material sector has been performed and it has proved that companies are aware of the concept, even more – to a certain extent, companies perform the concept in their day-to-day activities. The paper has marked the need of actually mapped networks, which will model a sustainable industrial symbiosis.
Key words: industrial symbiosis, circular economy, mineral raw-material industry

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7007062
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58903/c16182120

INDUSTRIAL SYMBIOSIS IN RAW-MATERIAL SECTOR AS AN OVERARCHING SOLUTION IN CIRCULAR ECONOMY

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