The Potential of industrial symbiosis: an analysis of barriers to its implementation for better waste management in industrial zones in Sri Lanka

Industrialisation has led to a massive increment in resource consumption and waste generation, which demands improved management strategies for Waste Management (WM), especially in Industrial Zones (IZ). Thus, the application of Industrial Symbiosis (IS) in an IZ is demanded as a solution. It is a collaborative approach in which different industries and organisations work together to create a closed-loop system that maximises resource efficiency, reduces waste, and improves environmental sustainability. Sri Lankan IZs still have not yet established a proper method to manage industrial waste, which has led to heaps of waste. Since IS is an effective and timely solution for this issue, this paper was intended to analyse barriers to the potential implementation of IS for better WM of IZs in Sri Lanka. A qualitative research approach with two case studies were used in this study. A total of 12 interviews were conducted and collected data was analysed using code-based content analysis. The barriers were extracted through the analysis of case findings using an abductive analysis. The empirical findings revealed 34 barriers under six categories, namely economic, organisational, regulatory, technological, risk and information. The higher initial cost, lack of financial ability, competition among participants, unavailability of institutional support, and lack of regulatory incentives for IS initiations were some of the key barriers identified in this study. The knowledge generated through this research can be used by respective industry practitioners to take informed decisions in addressing these barriers, which will be crucial to unlocking the potential of IS in IZ.