15 Conclusions
Antje Klitkou, Arne Martin Fevolden and
Marco Capasso
15.1 Introduction
In the following sections we explain how the book has answered the raised
expectations for the main thematic issues introduced in the first chapter, such
as circularity across established sectors, regional embedding and geographical
context of waste valorisation, resource ownership and interfirm governance,
and policy and regulations of waste valorisation. We also highlight possible
future research perspectives for these themes.
15.2 Circularity across established sectors and
sustainability of valorisation
The circularity and sustainability of valorisation of residues have been
addressed on many occasions in this book. The sectoral case studies in Part II
discuss circularity and sustainability of valorisation from different angles.
Chapter 4 compares examples of industrial symbiosis at different stages of
maturity: the emerging valorisation of residues from the pulp and paper
industry and aquaculture for producing liquified biogas and the diversification
of value creation of a former pulp and paper company into an integrated
biorefinery, exploiting wooden resources for producing chemicals, materials
and food and feed ingredients, crossing the sectoral boundaries from forestry
to chemical industry, food industry and feed industry. While in the first
example two companies collocate and integrate their streams of residues, the
second example shows how the integrated biorefinery evolved over time and
created many collocated and connected activities addressing the valorisation
of residues and side- streams. The company even specifically addressed the
sustainability of its products and performed an LCA. In that way the company
could exploit the whole feedstock and could become more energy efficient
and sustainable. In Chapter 6 a comparison of different options for the
valorisation of brewers’ spent grain shows that there are other options to gain
more economic value out of this side- stream than just giving it away for free
to local farmers, but that the sustainability of switching to such a pathway
has to be carefully assessed when the use as feed for local husbandry is an
Antje Klitkou, Arne Martin Fevolden and
Marco Capasso
15.1 Introduction
In the following sections we explain how the book has answered the raised
expectations for the main thematic issues introduced in the first chapter, such
as circularity across established sectors, regional embedding and geographical
context of waste valorisation, resource ownership and interfirm governance,
and policy and regulations of waste valorisation. We also highlight possible
future research perspectives for these themes.
15.2 Circularity across established sectors and
sustainability of valorisation
The circularity and sustainability of valorisation of residues have been
addressed on many occasions in this book. The sectoral case studies in Part II
discuss circularity and sustainability of valorisation from different angles.
Chapter 4 compares examples of industrial symbiosis at different stages of
maturity: the emerging valorisation of residues from the pulp and paper
industry and aquaculture for producing liquified biogas and the diversification
of value creation of a former pulp and paper company into an integrated
biorefinery, exploiting wooden resources for producing chemicals, materials
and food and feed ingredients, crossing the sectoral boundaries from forestry
to chemical industry, food industry and feed industry. While in the first
example two companies collocate and integrate their streams of residues, the
second example shows how the integrated biorefinery evolved over time and
created many collocated and connected activities addressing the valorisation
of residues and side- streams. The company even specifically addressed the
sustainability of its products and performed an LCA. In that way the company
could exploit the whole feedstock and could become more energy efficient
and sustainable. In Chapter 6 a comparison of different options for the
valorisation of brewers’ spent grain shows that there are other options to gain
more economic value out of this side- stream than just giving it away for free
to local farmers, but that the sustainability of switching to such a pathway
has to be carefully assessed when the use as feed for local husbandry is an