Abstract
The overwhelmingly high volume of industrial waste generation in Harare, spurred the initiation of a study to explore the possibility of coming up with novel integrated waste management system framework to reduce the current waste load being deployed to the official dumpsite. An investigation into ways on how eco-industrial park framework development would achieve this was conducted. The study did lay the basis for industrial beneficial interaction among various potential manufacturing industry players; through identifying companies with potential to be part of the eco-industrial park for enhanced waste administration. The intended industrial symbiosis consideration to minimize waste generation as a strategy was muted by virtually clustering already existing firms. The work study guidelines were put in place to make recommendations for an industry wide eco-industrial park based waste management platform to enable utility sharing; energy, waste and byproduct exchange; creation of mutual waste sinks, and information exchange. As well as improving on input operational efficiencies at company level, with the view to accomplish improved protection of the environment.
A survey study was undertaken on the industrial organizations in the four major industrial areas of Harare. To achieve this, a questionnaire was sent out to firms to gather data on: manufacturing facilities; quantities, type, sources and destiny of waste treatment; utilization of waste, byproducts and waste heat; energy consumption of production processes; operational performance and difficulties; and expected support from local authorities and government. Interviews were conducted with potential industrial participants and stakeholders, including municipality and environmental agency, to establish gaps for which the eco-industrial park would address. Material flow analysis was used in conjunction with the five-stage industrial ecology methodology to analyze the collected data and come up with the feasible virtual eco-industrial park prototype which covers the main industrial hubs of Msasa, Southerton, Graniteside and Workington.
In the considered sample, 10% of respondents confirmed that they were involved in industrial symbiotic practices of one form or another to minimize waste generation. Solid waste constituted 63% of the total waste generated by the firms. Agro-based biodegradable waste contributed about 50% of the total waste. The major firms identified across the industrial sites, to form the basic eco-industrial park network for byproduct and waste exchange were: the cement plant, coal thermal power plant, gypsum plant, chemical and fertilizer plant, and, pulp and paper milling. Fly ash and gypsum were found to be the main byproduct inputs in cement production. Msasa industrial site was selected as the anchor site as, it had abundant land space available to accommodate further growth of incubation firms which would be incorporated over time as the park network grows.
Low level waste and byproduct exchange by companies, confirmed that there was potential for implementation of eco-industrial park initiative through training of stakeholders, as well as adopting relevant technological innovation in converting biodegradable waste to biogas energy. As the economy is driven by a proliferation of micro-enterprises and Small to Medium Enterprises, inculcating a discipline of waste segregation at source would enable ease of waste recycling and reuse. Strict legal framework supported by institutional administration and government funding, to assist in network coordination and information dissemination, is critical for eco-industrial park activity realization. The resuscitation of the extensive rail network among the industrial sites would be critical in enabling...
D.Phil. (Engineering Management)