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Štore Steel industrial eco-system
Published on 08 March 2019
Slovenia
Zahodna Slovenija
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
Štore Steel is involved in industrial eco-system with many companies, thus exchanging and trading with secondary raw materials. It is collecting different types of steel scrap waste and by-products from many companies in Slovenia (e. g. car industry Revoz Novo Mesto, tool company UNIOR Zreče any others). Their by-products are mainly recycled within the Štore Steel company, but certain by-products of the recycling process (e. g. black dross, scale, primary slags etc.) are further sold to other companies that have a need for such by-products (e. g. scale is used in Gorenje factory to produce washing machine weights; black dross is used in Ekomineral company to produce asphalt). This is how these companies make sure that the waste and by-products are not wasted and are thus upcycled.
Resources needed
Investments in new technologies were needed (e. g. tools, machines, filters etc.) in order to make the industrial eco-system possible.
Evidence of success
Proximity of companies reduced the transport costs and costs related to investing in potential new infrastructure (in order to enable the industrial eco-system). Introducing industrial eco-system represented a small economic risks, but the use of secondary raw materials made positive effects on environment. Setting-up the industrial eco-system significantly enhanced trust building between companies, partners as well as local authorities, since it contributed to higher regional GDP.
Potential for learning or transfer
Industrial eco-system can be easily transferred to other sectors, since their model can serve as a role model for others. There are already technological solutions and processes present, meaning that no from-scratch R&I is needed. Industrial eco-system is a solution for preserving primary resources. Legislation at national level should be drafted in a way that it encourages industrial cooperation and exchange of secondary raw materials. Environmental law should be strict, but flexible enough, meaning that when industry's circumstances change, new environmental permissions should be easily obtained. For steel industry (which is considered large), the fragmentation of companies, buying by-products, is disadvantage (more administrative procedures). If there is economy of scale, industrial symbiosis is easier to manage. We should be more open to transfer or adopt good practices (already existing) from abroad (e. g. from Germany, Austria).
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
Organisation
Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy
Slovenia
Zahodna Slovenija
Contact
Undersecretary / Project officer