In Kalundborg Symbiosis, symbiosis flows traditionally refer to the practice of manufacturing companies sharing and reusing resources. But a symbiosis flow can also exist between manufacturing and service providers, as one of our newest members provides an excellent example:
Intertek is a leading global company in the testing, inspection and certification of products and services. They operate in a wide range of industries including food, chemicals, technology, buildings and more. Intertek actively works to reduce their own energy and water consumption, as well as contributing expertise to their customers' and partners' eco-friendly practices.
In this example, Intertek collaborates with Kalundborg Refinery and Avista Green, who are also members of the Kalundborg Symbiosis, to promote sustainability and resource efficiency:
Intertek performs testing, inspection and certification of products from Kalundborg Refinery and Avista Green, such as gasoline, waste oil, base oil, lubricating oil, diesel and heating oil. Once the products have been tested and certified, they are transferred to a slop tank for temporary storage. Avista Green, Scandinavia's only waste oil recycling refinery, collects the residues from the slop tank and re-refines them at its Kalundborg facility through environmentally friendly processes into high-quality base oil: the residual fraction from the tests at Intertek is used in the production of new lubricating oil at Avista Green. This helps to significantly reduce the amount of waste, thereby lowering the overall environmental impact.
The collaboration between Intertek, Klundborg Refinery and Avista Green in this context is an excellent example of circular economy, where resources are reused and recycled and value is created through sustainable practices. It shows how companies can work together in a symbiotic flow and create positive environmental and economic outcomes.
