Alternative Proteins Magazine ISSUE FOCUS 22 October 2025 city of Kalundborg, Denmark, which is recognized worldwide as a model of circular economy in action. Kalundborg Symbiosis operates on a simple but powerful principle: One company’s byproduct can become another’s resource. Since its establishment in the 1970s, the symbiosis has expanded into a network of more than a dozen companies that exchange energy, water, and materials to reduce costs, cut emissions, and generate new value (Kalundborg Symbiosis, 2022) (Figure 1). The impact is significant. Each year, the symbiosis saves: • 4 million m³ of groundwater by substituting with surface water, • 586,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, • 62,000 tonnes of residual materials, which are recycled rather than wasted, • Since 2015, CO₂ emissions within the industrial symbiosis have been reduced by 80%, and today the local energy supply is carbon neutral (Kalundborg Symbiosis, 2022). By integrating methane fermentation into this ecosystem, Kalundborg Symbiosis demonstrates the real-world potential of circular bioeconomy models and serves as an inspiring example for other countries. It clearly demonstrates that methane and othARGO Boehringer Ingelheim APM Terminals Schultz Shipping Group Kalundborg Refinery Water Energy Materials Novo Nordisk Novo Nordisk & Novonesis Land Owner’s Association Lake TissØ Ørsted Kalundborg Municipality Saint-Gobain Gyproc Kalundborg Utility Kalundborg Utility Heatpump Intertek Unibio Novonesis Meliora Bio Kalundborg Bioenergy Novonesis Wastewater & Biogas Avista Green Source: Kalundborg Symbiosis Figure 1. Symbiosis partners are diverse companies and organizations that collaborate by sharing resources, energy, and materials in a mutually beneficial network Symbiosis partners are connected by pipes supplying and exchanging resources Source: Kalundborg Symbiosis
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