E-Simbioza – Leading the Way to a Circular Economy through Industrial Symbiosis in Slovenia

Abstract

This paper provides a first insight into the level of understanding and implementation of industrial symbiosis (IS) in Slovenia. It is based on an online survey of a small sample of organizations actively involved in waste management. The results show that while their motivation to engage in IS include various environmental and economic benefits, as well as social responsibility, the concept and practice of IS is not well understood even within this group of organizations. Organizations that engage in IS would benefit from online tools enabling them to optimize their search for potential IS stakeholders with relevant types of waste materials for exchange. While the small sample size does not allow for generalizations, it provides evidence that an online platform to support IS can substantially contribute to a shift towards a circular economy. The article concludes with the presentation of one such successful initiative – e-Simbioza – as well as some guidelines for its future development.