Expert: Belarus should scale up the practice of creating eco-industrial parks

Sergei Dorozhko. Photo by FEZ "Minsk" November 28, MINSK . The widespread practice in the world of creating eco-industrial parks on the basis of industrial clusters, including free economic zones, is useful for the country. This opinion was expressed by the HEAD of the National Center for Resource-Efficient and Cleaner Production Sergei Dorozhko in a conversation with a BELTA correspondent on the sidelines of the business forum "Development of Green Economy in FEZs".

"Reducing the consumption of natural resources, using resources in technological processes that are less harmful to the environment - these and other specialized issues are given attention in the center," explained Sergei Dorozhko. "We are not theorists, but practitioners, so over the years of work we have transferred the best foreign experience to Belarusian soil. I believe that it is worth practicing the creation of eco-industrial parks on the basis of industrial clusters, free economic zones."

For example, the confectionery factory "Kommunarka" has already implemented a successful project in the field of resource conservation, and, according to the head of the center, many other worthy examples can be cited from among enterprises in the food industry and elsewhere.

"Resource conservation is related to both the resources consumed and the waste generated. This includes heat, water, and emissions into the atmosphere, but the biggest problem is the use of hazardous chemicals in technological processes that must be disposed of in some way. This is a serious headache for enterprises and a threat to the environment," emphasized Sergey Dorozhko.

The center's employees see the creation of special clubs for resource-efficient and cleaner production as one of the ways to promote their ideas. Such clubs were established in Borisov and Orsha, in particular. "This is a platform where enterprises are trained in the principles of resource-efficient and cleaner production. They are taught how to count incoming resource flows, how to count waste generated as a result of production, how to track it, how to detect stages that need improvement," explained the organizer of the clubs, Alesya Gatsura. "Representatives of enterprises undergo training in various areas, and after completing the course of lectures, they conduct a self-audit using the cases they received. In Orsha, we examined more than 10 enterprises."

As the specialist explained, at the output, producers already know exactly how much they can save by following the principles of resource conservation and applying it in practice. And these results, importantly, are measurable in numbers: let's say in 2024 , 1 liter of MILK was produced with such a quantity of waste and CO2 formation, and next year - the same amount of products with the least waste formation.

Alesya Gatsura drew attention to the fact that such a club could also work for residents of the Minsk free economic zone in the future.

The business forum "Development of a Green Economy in the SEZ" is attended by heads of government agencies, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, the National Center for Resource-Efficient and Cleaner Production, and business representatives. The forum is designed to promote the implementation of sustainable development principles in production and the use of innovative technologies to ensure environmental safety. The event includes discussions on eco-industrial parks and opportunities for industrial cooperation in the context of the SEZ, resource conservation and cleaner production, ESG and sustainable development, and the introduction of lean production tools at enterprises.