The manufacturing industry in the UK is facing growing productivity challenges due to supply and price volatility of raw materials. Manufacturing firms are consequently embracing the opportunities of circular economy approaches as a means to save costs, prevent disruptions in materials input and generate additional revenue from waste streams.

The development of circular economy capability and competence requires an industrial symbiosis approach. Industrial symbiosis is a fundamental building block of the circular economy. It provides a means to build industrial competitiveness through the creation of manufacturing ecosystems involving networks of organisations that generate new economic value through the continuous exchange of resources.

The industrial symbiosis capability of the UK manufacturing industry as a whole remains underexploited, with most of the circular economy initiatives being developed in sectoral silos. Such fragmented condition holds the economy back from achieving better sustainability performance overall. To unlock the untapped circular economy potential of the manufacturing industry in the UK, a cross-sectoral industrial symbiosis approach is necessary.

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