National Industrial Symbiosis
Programme (NISP)
The National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) is a
business opportunity programme that identifies and develops
mutually profitable links between companies across all
industrial sectors so that resources such as energy, water
and materials from one company can be recovered or
reprocessed and re-used by others.
NISP is a nationally-coordinated
programme with a network of 12
regional offices. The South East
office, incorporating Kent, has a
team of six specially trained
industrial symbiosis practitioners
who provide free help, advice and
support to companies of all sizes
and from every sector.
NISP is funded by the Government
through its Business Resource
Efficiency and Waste Programme
and therefore doesnÕt charge
companies to participate. Between
April 2005 and December 2007
NISP members generated just over
£120 million in new sales and made
savings in excess of £97 million as
a direct result of their involvement
in NISP. At the same time, the
synergies generated between NISPÕs
member companies have reduced
the UKÕs carbon emissions by 2.8
million tonnes and diverted more
than 2.8 million tonnes of business
waste from landfill.
In the south east, member
companies come from a range of
sectors including food and drink,
construction, marine, steel, and
cosmetics. NISP South East
members include Aylesford
Newsprint, Compact & Bale Ltd,
Countryside Properties, Countrystyle
Recycling, Hillreed Homes, Lafarge
Cement UK, Land Securities, Magnox
Electric Ltd, M-real New Thames
Ltd, Solvent Resource Management
Ltd and Thamesteel Ltd.
ÒItÕs all about bringing companies
together, both big and small,Ó
explains Robert Spencer, Regional-
Coordinator for NISP South East.
ÒIn some cases itÕs clear where
the saving can be made, or where
the opportunity is, in others itÕs
less obvious.
ÒThis is where our expertise really
benefits the companies we work
with. NISP doesnÕt merely provide
advice; it offers ongoing practical
support that enables companies
to turn opportunities into cash. As
well as identifying ways to reuse
previously discarded materials,
we assist companies in securing
grants to improve infrastructure
and expand operations or help them
obtain funding to carry out research
and development.Ó
NISP South East
Tel: 01235 468 733
email: southeast@nisp.org.uk
www.nisp.org.uk