Industrial Symbiosis and Circular Economy Practices Towards Sustainability in Forest-Based Clusters: Case Studies in Southern Brazil

Flávio José Simioni (), Juliana Ferreira Soares, Jeane de Almeida do Rosário, Luiza Garcia Sell, Eduardo Bertol, Fabio Murilo Padilha Souza, Edvaldo Pereira Santos Júnior and Luiz Moreira Coelho Junior
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Flávio José Simioni: Department of Environmental and Sanitary Engineering, Santa Catarina State University, Av. Luis de Camões, 2090, Lages 88520-000, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Juliana Ferreira Soares: Department of Environmental and Sanitary Engineering, Santa Catarina State University, Av. Luis de Camões, 2090, Lages 88520-000, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Jeane de Almeida do Rosário: Department of Environmental and Sanitary Engineering, Santa Catarina State University, Av. Luis de Camões, 2090, Lages 88520-000, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Luiza Garcia Sell: Department of Environmental and Sanitary Engineering, Santa Catarina State University, Av. Luis de Camões, 2090, Lages 88520-000, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Eduardo Bertol: Department of Environmental and Sanitary Engineering, Santa Catarina State University, Av. Luis de Camões, 2090, Lages 88520-000, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Fabio Murilo Padilha Souza: Department of Environmental and Sanitary Engineering, Santa Catarina State University, Av. Luis de Camões, 2090, Lages 88520-000, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Edvaldo Pereira Santos Júnior: Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, Paraíba, Brazil
Luiz Moreira Coelho Junior: Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, Paraíba, Brazil

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 21, 1-17

Abstract: This study aimed to investigate how Industrial Symbiosis (IS) built around thermoelectric power plants (TPPs) located in forest-based clusters in the southern plateau region of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, can stimulate the adoption of circular economy (CE) practices. Data were collected to identify the presence of forest-based clusters and the purchase and sale of logs, processed wood, and forest residues from companies within the clusters, and to investigate CE practices using the ReSOLVE framework adopted in two TPPs, which used residues and black liquor as fuel. The results indicate that the nature of the forest-based activities enhances the formation of clusters, especially when TPPs use forest residues for energy production with IS intensified in this process. Brazil has 140 TTPs that use forest biomass with the capacity to generate 5.5 million wK. Three clusters were identified in the study region with purchase and sale, respectively, of logs (78.6 and 100%), processed wood (75 and 66.7%), and wood residues (45.5 and 83.3%) within the region. The case studies indicated the strong occurrence of CE practices in the cases analyzed that contribute to four of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) proposed by the United Nations (7, 8, 9, and 12).

Keywords: forest biomass; forest residues; forest-based sector; renewable energy; sustainable practices (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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