Title: Industrial ecology as 'best available technique': a case study of the Italian Industrial District of Murano

Authors: Flaviano D'Amico, Marian Mihai Buleandra, Maria Velardi, Ion Tanase

Addresses: Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Environment (ENEA), PROT-RIS, CR Casaccia, Via Anguillarese 301, s.p. 105, 00060, Rome, Italy. ' Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Environment (ENEA), PROT-RIS, CR Casaccia, Via Anguillarese 301, s.p. 105, 00060, Rome, Italy. Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Bucharest, Panduri 90, 050657, Bucharest, Romania. ' Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Environment (ENEA), PROT-RIS, CR Casaccia, Via Anguillarese 301, s.p. 105, 00060, Rome, Italy. ' Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Bucharest, Panduri 90, 050657, Bucharest, Romania

Abstract: This paper describes an attempt to revitalise a declining urban industrial area in the Venetian Lagoon in accordance with environmental regulations. Among the revitalisation initiatives, the environmental ones were defined through the discussion and signing of a voluntary agreement by all stakeholders. This agreement contained new and more stringent limits than those set out by environmental legislation. The application of BATTER, a tool that indicates the best environmental scenarios for a territory, identified the best technical solutions: only the application of Industrial Ecology (IE) principles would allow the achievement of advantages regarding air quality (emissions reduced up to 65%), water quality (pollution reduced between 20 and 30 times), water and energy consumption and CO2 emissions (reduced up to 60%). As compared to other applications of Industrial Ecology, the Venetian case differs in the attention paid to the stakeholders| needs and their involvement in the decision-making process. It provides an example of how fruitful the application of IE to existing industrial regions can be.

Keywords: industrial ecology; industrial districts; urban revitalisation; industrial symbiosis; BATTER; voluntary agreements; Italy; urban regeneration; Venetian Lagoon; environmental regulations; air quality; water quality; stakeholders needs; environmental pollution; carbon dioxide emissions; Venice.

DOI: 10.1504/PIE.2007.015191

Progress in Industrial Ecology, An International Journal, 2007 Vol.4 No.3/4, pp.268 - 287

Published online: 21 Sep 2007 *

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