Doc. Jouni Korhonen: Industrial 3.4.

2006
Ecosystem

Industrial Ecosystem:

Learning from Nature for

Protecting Nature?

Docent Jouni Korhonen

Objectives of the lecture

1. Introduce the students to the concept
and potential applications of the
Industrial Ecosystem

and derived from this…

2. Identify some broad research themes for

MA or Ph.D thesis

University of Oulu, Waste minimization

and resources use optimization course 1
Doc. Jouni Korhonen: Industrial 3.4.2006
Ecosystem

Materials and Data

• Journal of Cleaner Production, triple special

issue, Vol. 12, Nos. 8-10

• Business Strategy and the Environment,

special issue, Vol. 13, No. 5

• Progress in Industrial Ecology, Vol. 1, Nos. 1-3

Structure
1. Material and energy flows of industrial
systems

2. Material and energy flows of ecosystems

3. The concept and application of the Industrial

Ecosystem (IE)

4. Limitations of IE: Research Themes!!

University of Oulu, Waste minimization

and resources use optimization course 2
Doc. Jouni Korhonen: Industrial 3.4.2006
Ecosystem

Descriptive Vs. Prescriptive

Science

• Descriptive research: How things are, how

the world is?
Vs.
• Prescriptive research: How things should
be, how the world ought to be, what is
desirable, how should we act, what should
we do?

Flows of Matter in Industrial

Systems

Industrial
system,
production
and
Nature - Over-harvesting - Wastes and Nature
of renewables consumption emissions
- Use of non-
renewables

University of Oulu, Waste minimization

and resources use optimization course 3
Doc. Jouni Korhonen: Industrial 3.4.2006
Ecosystem

Flows of Energy in Industrial

Systems

Industrial
system,
production
Nature - Use of and - Producing Nature
non-renewable emissions
consumption
fossil fuels exceeding
nature’s
assimilation
capacity

Flows of Carbon in Industrial

Systems

Industrial
system,
production
Nature - Use of geological and - Releasing Nature
carbon, extracted cardon dioxide
consumption
’outside’ (CO2) foreign to
ecosystems nature

University of Oulu, Waste minimization

and resources use optimization course 4
Doc. Jouni Korhonen: Industrial 3.4.2006
Ecosystem

Natural Ecosystem: A Sustainable System

Solar Plants Animals

energy

Decomposers, Waste
scavengers, heat
bacteria, fungi

Cyclical and cascading flow of materials and energy based on

infinite solar energy input (’master of recycling’)

Ecosystem Evolution and Development Over Time

Unlimited resources Unlimited sinks
(energy and matter) Organism for wastes
Organism Type I ecosystem
(ecosystem
(ecosystem
component,
component,
actor ) actor) (young nature)

Energy and limited

Plants Animals Type II ecosystem
matter resources Limited wastes

Decomposers,
bacteria,fungi
bacteria, fungi

Ecosystem Ecosystem Type III ecosystem

component component
Infinite solar (mature system)
energy Ecosystem Material cycles and
waste energy use Ecosystem
component component
in diverse networks
Waste heat
Ecosystem Ecosystem (infrared radiation
component component to space)

University of Oulu, Waste minimization

and resources use optimization course 5
Doc. Jouni Korhonen: Industrial 3.4.2006
Ecosystem

Industrial Ecosystem Vision

Industrial Ecosystem of the

Uimaharju Forest Industry Park,
North Karelia, Finland

University of Oulu, Waste minimization

and resources use optimization course 6
Doc. Jouni Korhonen: Industrial 3.4.2006
Ecosystem

Uimaharju 1955-1966 ”Type I”

Forest Lake
ecosystem

Domestic
roundwood Bark
boiler

Bark CO2, other

Heat emissions
(1) Air
Saw
Sawn mill Power,
timber fossil fuels
Ash, other solid wastes
Sawdust
Landfill

Uimaharju 1967-1992 ”Type II”

Forest Industrial Pulping Lake

ecosystem gases chemicals

Mechanically purified
(1967- 1989) or aerated
Domestic (1989-1991) waste waters
roundwood,
Some imported Bark
roundwood boiler Waste
waters

Pulp Pulp Black liquor,

Tall oil, Heat mill bark
turpentine Bark (1)
Power (3) Air
Chips CHP
Saw (2) Steam (4) CO2, other
Sawn mill Heat (5) power emissions
timber plant

Ash, other solid wastes Fossil fuels,

power
Landfill
Sawdust
(6)

University of Oulu, Waste minimization

and resources use optimization course 7
Doc. Jouni Korhonen: Industrial 3.4.2006
Ecosystem

Uimaharju1992-2003
Uimaharju 1992 - 2003 “Type
”Type III”
III”
Forest Ash pellets (Pulping Purified Waste waters
for fertilizer chemicals ) Lake water Eno municipality(12)
ecosystem

Waste Pulping Waste

ash chemicals water
recovery treatment
treatment (10)
Imported plant plant
(~2/3) and Waste
domestic Ash waters
roundwood Waste
(9) water
Gas sludge saw mill wastes for
plant (11)
pulping
Industrial gases
(8)
Pulp Black
mill liquor, CO 2,
Pulp bark other
Saw emissions
Chips Air
mill Sawdust Power CHP
Steam Power (14)
Sawn Bark (7) Heat power
timber plant
Power Fossil
Heat fuels
ash for
recovered landfill
Solid wastes
tall oil, cardboard and building
turpentine for packaging wastes Landfill unused bark from
chemical for energy saw mill and/or pulp
industry production mill (13)

Russia
Uimaharju

Main procurement area

Finland Greenhouse
Finland
effects, CO2

Province of
North Karelia

Eno
municipality Biodiversity,
Waste waters nutrient status,
soil carbon

Customers
Raw material
Products procurement

Waste paper
management,
Green power
benefits

University of Oulu, Waste minimization

and resources use optimization course 8
Doc. Jouni Korhonen: Industrial 3.4.2006
Ecosystem

Limitations of Industrial Ecology:

Research Topics!!!

¾ System Vs. System boundaries

- Example: Finnish forest industry imports and exports

¾ System Vs. System component

- Example: Inter vs. Intra-organizational management

¾ Eco-efficiency Vs. Growth

- Example: The rebound effect and the ’Jevon’s paradox’,
e.g. fuel efficient cars vs. mileage driven

¾ Downstream impacts Vs. Upstream root causes

- Example: CFCs, SO2 as known impacts

¾ Waste Vs. Its definition (cultural/social construct)

- Examples: Past vs. present, Developed vs. Developing
countries

P hineas G age

University of Oulu, Waste minimization

and resources use optimization course 9
Doc. Jouni Korhonen: Industrial 3.4.2006
Ecosystem

Ecosystem health,
ecosystem services,
and sustainable human
well-being

Robert Costanza
Gund Professor of Ecological Economics
and Director, Gund Institute of Ecological Economics
Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources
University of Vermont
Burlington, VT 05401

http://www.uvm.edu/giee

University of Oulu, Waste minimization

and resources use optimization course 10