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Industrial Symbiosis Dynamics and the Problem of Equivalence: Proposal for a Comparative Framework : Industrial Symbiosis Dynamics and the Problem of Equivalence
Cited 94 time in
Web of Science
Cited 114 time in Scopus
- Authors
- Issue Date
- 2017-08
- Publisher
- MIT Press
- Citation
- Journal of Industrial Ecology, Vol.21 No.4, pp.938-952
- Abstract
- Industrial symbiosis (IS), one of the founding notions within the field of industrial ecology, has diffused throughout significant parts of the world as a practice that can reduce the ecological impact of the industrial processes of groups of firms. In this article, we propose a fresh look at this research topic, building on the considerable advances that have been made in the last 15 years in understanding how IS comes about. We propose a conceptual and theoretical framework for taking on the challenge of comparative analysis at a global level. This requires developing an approach to address a solution to the problem of equivalence: the difficulty of comparing instances of IS across different institutional contexts. The proposed framework emphasizes IS as a process and attempts to address the obstacles to comparative study by (1) identifying terminology to examine IS variants, (2) providing a typology of IS dynamics, and (3) formulating key research questions to illuminate a way forward. In developing our argument, we build on the collective experiences of collaborative research efforts in North America, Europe, and Asia as evidenced in recent overviews of the literature.
- ISSN
- 1088-1980
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