Industrial Symbiosis Programme (ISP)
The NCPC-SA Industrial Symbiosis Programme (ISP) is a free facilitation service that promotes the exchange of residual resources of one company with another company that can make use of it. This results in mutual economic, social and environmental benefits. Resources can be anything – material, energy, water, production waste, assets, logistics or expertise.
The IS Programme aims to build a network of businesses with links or “synergies” between companies. A synergy is completed when resources are exchanged. This leads to economic, environmental and social benefits for both.

Step 1: Business Opportunity Workshop (Identify companies)
Step 2: Identify a contact person in a company
Step 3: Company visit
Step 4: Discuss waste streams
Step 5: Register stream on database
Step 6: Finding a match for the stream to create a synergy
Step 7: Facilitate interaction between company matches
Step 8: Waste exchange takes place/waste moving
Step 9: Record synergy on database
Step 10: Synergy sigh-off
Step 11: Follow up on synergy to maintain relationship and continuity
Step 12: Case study write-up to collect data on waste diversion, additional revenue, private investment, GHG savings, job creation, cost savings etc.
IS increases
- Profit
- Sales
- New business
- Jobs
- Utilisation of assets
- Innovation
- Inward investment
- Learning
- Knowledge transfer
IS decreases
- Co2 emissions
- Landfill costs
- Use of virgin reseources
- Industrial water usage
- Hazardous waste
- Pollution
- Transport