Industrial symbiosis among small and medium scale enterprises: Case of Muzaffarnagar, India

Abstract

Developing countries like India, characterized by large working populations and significantly lower cost of capital, have become hotbeds for manufacturing activities. A distinctive feature in regions of India is that majority of the industrial material flows are through unorganized micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs). These highly constrained MSMEs have limited resources to comply with environmental regulations because of significant investments required in pollution control measures. An important way to improve the environmental performance of these industrial clusters is to quantify, treat, and reduce industrial byproducts. This objective could be achieved through industrial symbiosis or byproduct synergy, terms used for beneficial reuse of materials or energy streams from one facility by another. In the present study an attempt has been made to identify and understand existing and potential industrial symbiosis connections in Muzaffarnagar, an industrial town in north India home to several dozen paper mills, another dozen sugar mills, and a large range of other MSME manufacturing entities. In addition to the presence of small and medium enterprises there is also a strong bond between industry owners in the region.