Securing a port's future through Circular Economy: Experiences from the Port of Gävle in contributing to sustainability

Abstract

Ports are an important player in the world, due to their role in global production and distributions systems. They are major intermodal transport hubs, linking the sea to the land. For all ports, a key requirement for commercial and economic viability is to retain ships using them and to remain accessible to those ships. Ports need to find approaches to help them remain open. They must ensure their continued economic viability. At the same time, they face increasing pressure to become more environmentally and socially conscious. This paper examines the approach taken by the Port of Gävle, Sweden, which used contaminated dredged materials to create new land using principles of Circular Economy. The paper demonstrates that using Circular Economy principles can be a viable way of securing a port's future and contributing to its sustainability, and that of the city/region where it operates.

Analysing sustainability changes in seaports: Experiences from the Gävle Port Authority

“…The port is owned by the municipality of Gävle. There are approximately 40 separate companies located within the logistic hub of the port (Carpenter et al, ).…”

“…Ports facilitate trade and provide added value through the economic activities of firms within their industrial complex (Carpenter, Lozano, Sammalisto, & Astner, ). Half of the goods traded internally within the European Union (EU) is seaborne (Eurostat, ).…”

“…At the same time, ports need to respond to economic pressures in a constantly evolving industry. These developments pose great challenges to ports' current business models and their competitive advantage (Carpenter et al, ). Sustainability of seaport activities can only be achieved by enacting management protocols that integrate economic, environment, and social (including legal and technical) issues (Dinwoodie et al, ; Wooldridge et al, ).…”

“…According to Carpenter et al (), although several European policies require the handling of waste at port estates (such as the Directive 2008/98/EC, Directive 2000/59/EC, and Directive 2000/76/EC), many initiatives at ports go beyond legal requirements, such as cases of Biopark Terneuzen of the Port of Zeeland, the Port of Antwerp's Sustainability Strategy, the Port of Gävle circular economy approaches through the use of contaminated dredged materials to create new land, and the vision strategies of the Port of Amsterdam and the Port of Rotterdam. Port authorities have been the main drivers of these developments.…”

Solutions to Marine Pollution in Canary Islands’ Ports: Alternatives and Optimization of Energy Management

“…Finally, delimiting one of the meanings of the circular economy concept to the port area, Carpenter et al [27] carry out an interesting study in the port of Gävle, Sweden, in which the polluted dredging materials help create new land using the principles of the circular economy. It is interesting how this document shows that the use of the principles associated with the concept of the circular economy can be a viable way to ensure the future of the port and contribute to its sustainability and, in addition, that of the city or region where it operates.…”