EJQ1 - Summer 2024 - Journal - Page 31
inclusive economic growth. They also boost the life cycle of critical assets,
increase a community’s environmental e昀케ciency and resilience, and
create new green jobs, while playing a signi昀椀cant role in building resilient
and adaptive wastewater infrastructure. For example:
1. Green energy and e昀케ciency: Ecofactories produce on-site biogas from
anaerobic digestion (a process that transforms organic waste into biomethane), and sometimes draw from other sources of green energy, such as
solar photovoltaic (PV), waste heat recovery and geothermal energy.
2. Resource recovery: These facilities are designed to promote industrial
symbiosis, where the waste or by-products of one industry become the
raw materials for another. This can include the co-digestion of food
waste which leads to conversion of biosolids to fertilizer, o昀昀setting
synthetically manufactured fertilizers.
3. Water reuse and recycling: Ecofactories often incorporate advanced
wastewater treatment technologies that can e昀昀ectively treat and
recycle wastewater generated within the industrial park. This not only
reduces the pumping of freshwater resources but also promotes water
conservation and reuse, which is critical in regions facing water scarcity.
4. Decarbonization: Energy, water and waste circular initiatives
automatically lower an Ecofactory’s carbon footprint as well as other
scope 3 and 4 value chain emissions.
5. Community and environmental stewardship: Fostering collaboration
and knowledge sharing among industries, researchers and policymakers
is an important attribute of these facilities. This can lead to the
development and adoption of innovative wastewater treatment
technologies, best practices and policies that support resilient and
adaptive wastewater infrastructure.
In addition, Ecofactories often employ decentralized wastewater
management systems that can be more resilient to disruptions and
better adapted to local conditions. These systems can include onsite treatment facilities, constructed wetlands or other nature-based
solutions designed to handle 昀氀uctuations in wastewater 昀氀ow and
composition. By promoting resource e昀케ciency, industrial symbiosis
and recovery for bene昀椀cial reuse, Ecofactories contribute to building
wastewater infrastructure that is more resilient to environmental and
economic challenges while also supporting water conservation and
environmental protection.
E N V I RON M E N T J OURN A L QUA RT E RLY RE PORT • Q1 2 02 4 • P AGE 3 1
