How industrial symbiosis creates opportunities for a new generation

Decoupling of resources use from economic growth is a central challenge of cultivating a sustainable future. In this context, industrial symbiosis holds huge potential; within initiatives in which two or more companies develop mutually beneficial relationships, we can reduce waste. A useful example is when one company makes productive use of a material stream that is regarded as waste by another. 

These initiatives are supported by various new national and international legislators; for instance, the European Green Deal has set out an action plan for the efficient use of resources by moving toward a circular economy. Meanwhile, Spain has outlined plans for ‘Circular Spain 2030’ to promote green infrastructure.

 

At Provital, we have been working on sustainability for over a decade. Currently, our strategy focuses on social development, sustainable production, and how we can innovate within a sustainable supply chain. Now, inspired by the concept of the circular economy, and supported by these legislative moves, we’re thinking about how these ideas can create opportunities for a sustainable future.

Opportunities in the sustainable sourcing of raw materials

Provital has participated in the UN’s Nagoya Protocol. This project seeks to encourage Access and Benefit Sharing, where companies make agreements with producers and local communities from which raw materials are obtained. This seeks to avoid exploitation, pay fair prices, and support biodiversity. One such example is our project in Mexico, in collaboration with Mujeres y Ambiente and the Autonomous University of Queretaro, where we work with local farmers to source endemic plants.

In the context of the circular economy, industrial symbiosis such as this makes even more sense. If we can take these initiatives one step further – say, by using by-products from the local agroalimentary industry – we can facilitate a reduction of resource consumption, reduce and continue to support producers. This also creates the need for new processes (drying, conservation, handling, etc.) enhancing the economic case alongside the environmental one.

How industrial symbiosis creates a better future for young people

This notion of job creation is essential to the economic case for the circular economy. These processes create opportunities for an adaptable new generation, who prioritize sustainability. Certainly, this will require training; but with young people’s existing commitment to caring for our planet, the creation of these jobs provides exciting opportunities.

Moreover, these opportunities don’t only lie in nature; they also, perhaps crucially, lie in science. Technology allows us greater connectivity, to find more information, and drives innovation in R&D departments. This provides us with new tools to research, new ways of working, new products, and new processes. Facilitated by digital natives’ agile nature, we have new opportunities to combine nature and science for a more sustainable future via a circular economy.

Responding to new demands with new possibilities

To make this circular future a reality, we must discourage the vision that sustainability is a cost. Instead, it must be seen as an opportunity and an investment, creating a sustainable economic and environmental future for a new generation. Moreover, this imperative isn’t only driven by environmentalists; now the end consumer is more aware of the importance of sustainability than ever before.

To answer this demand and create these opportunities, industrial symbiosis across the entire value chain is essential. Producers, manufacturers, and brands must work together to use the resources we have to their fullest potential. A new, creative generation is essential to this project – and if we begin executing these projects now, we can start laying the foundations for a brighter future for new talent.