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TABLE 3.1 Sustainable Development and Industrial Ecology 99
EIP in USA and Developer Organization (Gibbs and Deutz, 2004)

EIP Developer
Devens Planned Community, MA Public Agency
Philips Eco Enterprise Center, MN Community non-profit
Port of Cape Charles Sustainable Public agency
Technology Park, VA
Gulf-Coast By-product Synergy Project, Private companies
Freeport, TX
Londonderry Eco-Industrial Park, NH Private sector
Redhills Ecoplex, MS Public agency
Dallas Eco-Industrial Park, TX Local authority
Ecolibrium, Computer and Electronic Public sector consortium
Disposition, Austin, TX
Front Royal Eco-Office Park, VA Public agency
Basset Creek, MN Consultants/Local Authority

The main goal of an EIP is to improve the economic performance of the
participating companies while minimizing their environmental impacts and
complying with environmental regulations. Components of this approach
include environmentally friendly design of park infrastructure and plants (new
or retrofitted), cleaner production, pollution prevention; energy efficiency; and
intercompany partnering. An EIP also seeks benefits for neighboring com-
munities to assure that the net impact of its development is positive.
There is no one single model or methodology to follow for developing
EIP and accordingly there cannot be a single Act or strategy to be addressed.
It seems that in Canada the development of EIP is still more of a top-bottom
approach, unlike the US where many private companies are taking the lead
as shown in Table 3.1. A combination of the Canadian system and American
system might be the best: to develop strategy and awareness programs and
seek benefits and compliance with environmental regulations according to a
bottom-up system. The development of a circular economy still lacks strong
legal support and therefore it is necessary to draft such a law in order to
achieve the desired objectives.
These experiences showed some important support tools that have
been developed in the process of EIP development. These tools include a
mechanism to make the park work, financial tools, and model codes among
the members of EIP. An information management system to facilitate the
interconnectedness is identified as a major tool (Peck, 1998; Peck et al., 1998;
El Haggar, 2005) with more research needed in this area.
The following case studies will illustrate some ideas and history behind
each EIP to help readers or researchers to develop their own methodology to
approach EIP in their country/industrial estate. The methodology might
change from one industrial estate to another and from one country to another