Article
Engineering, Environmental
L. Rostek, L. A. Tercero Espinoza, D. Goldmann, A. Loibl
Summary: Accurate and up-to-date accounting of material stocks and flows is crucial for Circular Economy discussions. The application of dynamic material flow analysis shows an increase in recycling rates from 2010 to 2019, but challenges remain in end-of-life waste collection and zinc losses in steel recycling.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Minghao Xu, Dingjiang Chen, Yadong Yu, Zengbo Chen, Yupeng Zhang, Bomin Liu, Yike Fu, Bing Zhu
Summary: Considerable progress has been made in material flow analysis (MFA), leading to the necessity of conducting MFA at the subnational level. The study introduces a novel material flow indicator, Provincial Selected Material Consumption (PSMC), and its calculation method to estimate resource consumption mainly by the manufacturing and construction sectors. Through the verification in China, PSMC proves to be a reliable and feasible tool for depicting subnational level material use characteristics, providing valuable insights for sustainable resource management and policy-making.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Abraham J. Padilla, Nedal T. Nassar
Summary: Tantalum has attracted significant attention due to supply chain risks, with the majority of global supply originating from Africa, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo. The United States has relied on imports since the 1950s, but accurately quantifying domestic consumption is challenging due to lack of unique tariff codes for refined tantalum compounds. Additionally, tantalum incorporated into finished goods is not tracked. Through material flow analysis, our study reveals that domestic tantalum consumption may be up to 250% higher than previously estimated, providing valuable insights for industry and policymakers in addressing supply security issues.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Matthias Walz, Edeltraud Guenther
Summary: By analyzing and synthesizing 73 case studies on MFCA, a clear picture of the experiences reported by companies after applying MFCA is presented. While most case studies describe positive effects of MFCA, caution is needed due to the limited data availability. This research may be helpful in deciding whether to use MFCA in practice and as a foundation for further research.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Joris Baars, Mohammad Ali Rajaeifar, Oliver Heidrich
Summary: Material efficiency (ME) strategies are important for reducing environmental emissions, improving supply chain resilience, and enhancing cost competitiveness. Material flow analysis (MFA) methods can be used to assess the potential impacts of ME strategies. However, there are limitations in MFA methods that hinder its use as a decision support tool. To overcome these limitations, researchers have been integrating MFA with other methods.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Lu Liu, Jinhua Li, Zhibin Jia, Jing Liu
Summary: This study conducted industrial metabolism analysis on a representative wine company in China, comparing the traditional industry chain (TIC) and ecological industry chain (EIC) to explore material flow relationships. The results showed that EIC had higher industrial metabolic efficiency and resource utilization than TIC, with the addition of nodes promoting byproduct reuse and waste reduction.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Chika Aoki-Suzuki, Sebastien M. R. Dente, Daisuke Tanaka, Chihiro Kayo, Shinsuke Murakami, Chiharu Fujii, Kiyotaka Tahara, Seiji Hashimoto
Summary: Decoupling well-being from resource use through resource efficiency and circular economy has become the mainstream agenda for sustainable development. This study in Japan is the first to assess the total environmental impact at the national level, focusing on the production process for 213 materials. The study reveals a higher impact generated by production and foreign supply chain phases in biomass and fossil resources, highlighting the need for measures to reduce resource use and improve efficiency in these areas.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Dominik Noll, Christian Lauk, Willi Haas, Simron Jit Singh, Panos Petridis, Dominik Wiedenhofer
Summary: The study focuses on how islands can achieve more sustainable resource use, using a socioeconomic metabolism framework to assess circular economy strategies for the Greek island of Samothraki. Results show significant growth in material stocks, domestic material consumption, and solid waste generation on the island over the past 90 years. The transition towards a less circular biophysical economy resulted in accumulated solid waste stock almost half the size of current material stocks in use on the island.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jianwen Chu, Xiaobo Yin, Mengchang He, Wei Ouyang, Chunye Lin, Xitao Liu
Summary: China has the largest antimony (Sb) reserves and production levels, leading to concerns over human health and environmental risks from Sb emissions in PET products. The study found that Sb emissions and risks in the PET life cycle are highest in the manufacturing and use stage, and management measures are needed to reduce these risks to humans and the environment.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jan Kovanda
Summary: The article introduces a new method called economy-wide material system analysis (EW-MSA) for mapping material flows through the economy. The quantification of material flows in EW-MSA is carried out by unambiguously defined indicators. The case study using the Czech Republic as an example demonstrates that it is an open economy with a continuously growing total physical stock of materials.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Stefan Pauliuk, Niko Heeren
Summary: Germany has successfully reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 35% since 1990, with a national goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. While energy efficiency measures have been established, further reductions will require a focus on material efficiency, such as product lightweighting, material reuse, remanufacturing, and product lifecycle extension. Sector-specific research has shown significant emissions savings potential through material efficiency strategies, and implementing such measures could further reduce emissions by 19-34% in passenger vehicles, 27-31% in residential buildings, and 14-19% in non-residential buildings by 2050.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Frank Mnthambala, Elizabeth Tilley, Sean Tyrrel, Ruben Sakrabani
Summary: Population growth and changing dietary needs in Malawi have led to a high demand for phosphorus (P) fertilisers, with most soils in the country having low P levels. A phosphorus flow analysis (PFA) revealed a large amount of recyclable organic P sources, but only 16% is currently being recycled, resulting in a negative P balance in Malawian soils. Adopting organic P recycling practices could reduce the country's reliance on imported chemical P fertilisers, but regulations on organic fertiliser quality are needed to ensure effectiveness.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yizheng Lyu, Yang Gao, Hanyun Ye, Yang Liu, Siyu Han, Jinping Tian, Lujun Chen
Summary: This study found that the environmental impacts of the wastewater treatment system in chemical industrial parks mainly come from in-plant WWTPs, where chemicals and electricity consumption lead to increases in human toxicity potential and marine aquatic ecotoxicity potential. Three scenarios were proposed to reduce environmental impacts, with a pollution mitigation potential of up to 8% of the original measured impacts. Additionally, four policy implications for improving the water management system of CIPs were suggested from a systematic thinking perspective.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Daqian Jiang, Tianyu Zhang
Summary: The study evaluates the sensitivity of state-level PFAS emissions from carpet to different emission models and parameters, aiming to bridge the gap between monitoring and regional material flow analysis. It highlights the need to prioritize confirming true emission models in order to improve the usability of PFAS monitoring in MFA, risk assessment, and policy design.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Vivien Kleinpeter, Manon Alvanitakis, Mathieu Vigne, Tom Wassenaar, Danny Lo Seen, Jonathan Vayssieres
Summary: This paper proposes a method to assess the role of crops and livestock in nutrient circularity and use efficiency in an agri-food-waste system. Using the nitrogen metabolism of French Reunion Island as an example, it reveals that the island has a very low nitrogen use efficiency and crops and livestock are major sources of inefficiencies. However, they also contribute to circularity within the system.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2023)
Editorial Material
Engineering, Environmental
Arunima Malik, Chanjief Chandrakumar, Manfred Lenzen, Sarah J. McLaren
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Felix Keck, Silke Juette, Manfred Lenzen, Mengyu Li
Summary: In considering a country's future energy policy, it is crucial to accurately estimate the future generation mix, technology costs, and generation site locations in electricity power grids. This estimation must take into account changing levels of demand and increasing levels of renewable energy supply, which exhibit high spatial and temporal fluctuations. Mathematical models used for this purpose are high-dimensional with high computational complexity and cannot be analytically solved. Various simplifications and heuristics have been proposed globally, but their performance needs to be evaluated. A comparison of a near-optimal heuristic optimization approach with Linear Programming (LP) optimization in the context of Australia found relevant solutions for both methods, with the heuristic approach showing significant performance advantages.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Arunima Malik, Azusa Oita, Emily Shaw, Mengyu Li, Panittra Ninpanit, Vibhuti Nandel, Jun Lan, Manfred Lenzen
Summary: This study assesses the drivers of nitrogen emissions by analyzing six determinants. Nitrogen efficiency has improved, but affluence, final demand destination, and population growth have led to an overall increase in emissions. Food production coupled with growing international trade is the main cause of increased nitrogen emissions worldwide.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Hanspeter Wieland, Manfred Lenzen, Arne Geschke, Jacob Fry, Dominik Wiedenhofer, Nina Eisenmenger, Johannes Schenk, Stefan Giljum
Summary: The PIOLab is a virtual laboratory designed to build global physical input-output tables by utilizing secondary data from various models in industrial ecology. It is part of the industrial ecology virtual laboratory concept, offering a collaborative research environment to address challenges in constructing gPIOTs efficiently. The PIOLab's analytical capabilities are highlighted through the example of global iron-steel supply chains, showcasing its ability to provide mass-balanced indicators for different regions and economic sectors.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Janet Salem, Manfred Lenzen, Yasuhiko Hotta
Summary: Current NDCs and national climate change strategies lack necessary low-carbon lifestyle change measures, with most countries focusing on supply-side measures and potentially missing the opportunity to shape low-carbon lifestyle patterns.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Manfred Lenzen, Arne Geschke, James West, Jacob Fry, Arunima Malik, Stefan Giljum, Llorenc Canals, Pablo Pinero, Stephan Lutter, Thomas Wiedmann, Mengyu Li, Maartje Sevenster, Janez Potocnik, Izabella Teixeira, Merlyn Van Voore, Keisuke Nansai, Heinz Schandl
Summary: Despite the lack of comprehensive reporting facilities on countries' material footprints, this study presents a new research platform that provides detailed global material footprint accounts. The material footprint indicator is crucial for measuring environmental pressure and progress towards Sustainable Development Goals, highlighting the need for decoupling economic growth from resource use.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Engineering, Environmental
Arunima Malik, Manfred Lenzen, Jacob Fry
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Mengyu Li, Ella Middelhoff, Fabiano A. Ximenes, Catherine Carney, Ben Madden, Nick Florin, Arunima Malik, Manfred Lenzen
Summary: This study aims to assess Australia's potential energy transition pathways and 100% renewable electricity supply scenarios under various biomass bidding strategies and cost assumptions. The findings suggest that bioelectricity can be a cost-effective flexible option as carbon prices increase, with its generation share reaching a significant level in higher carbon price scenarios.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2022)
Article
Economics
Mengyu Li, Manfred Lenzen, Luis E. Pedauga, Arunima Malik
Summary: The frequency of disasters is increasing, highlighting the need for accurate assessment of their impact on supply chains. This study presents an improved analysis approach that takes into account the priorities of decision-makers and realistically evaluates the effects of disasters on different sectors.
SPATIAL ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zhan-Ming Chen, Peilin Chen, Manfred Lenzen, Baigao Xiao, Arunima Malik
Summary: This study constructs a dynamic energy input-output model to analyze the embodied energy flows and stocks from 2000 to 2014. The results show that the global fixed capital stock stored a significant amount of embodied energy, which was three times the world's direct energy use. The gaps between the dynamic energy footprints and the traditional ones were larger in fast-developing countries. Net embodied energy usually flowed from high-intensity economies to lower-intensity economies.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yutong Jin, Manfred Lenzen, Alejandro Montoya, Bronwyn Laycock, Zhiguo Yuan, Paul Lant, Mengyu Li, Richard Wood, Arunima Malik
Summary: Plastics, despite their versatility, are harmful to the environment due to pollution. Research aims to find natural substitutes for non-degradable plastics by replacing oil-based feedstocks with renewable ones. The study uses a global analysis to explore the implications of transitioning to biobased plastics, finding potential emission reductions, job creation, and increased land use.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2023)
Article
Economics
Mengyu Li, Lorenz Keysser, Jarmo S. Kikstra, Jason Hickel, Paul E. Brockway, Nicolas Dai, Arunima Malik, Manfred Lenzen
Summary: Empirical evidence suggests that high-income economies may need to adopt degrowth policies along with renewable energy deployment to achieve rapid decarbonisation. However, existing energy-economy-emission models have not included degrowth scenarios due to their growth-oriented framework. In this study, the IAM MESSAGEix is modified to be compatible with degrowth scenarios, resulting in reduced production and emissions in a simulated high-income economy.
ECONOMIC SYSTEMS RESEARCH
(2023)
Letter
Food Science & Technology
Mengyu Li, Manfred Lenzen, Arunima Malik, David Raubenheimer
Article
Food Science & Technology
Mengyu Li, Nanfei Jia, Manfred Lenzen, Arunima Malik, Liyuan Wei, Yutong Jin, David Raubenheimer
Summary: The contribution of transportation to food systems' carbon footprint varies, and global food trade is closely related to greenhouse gas emissions. Increasing local food production can help reduce the environmental impact.
Article
Public Administration
Muhammad Daaniyall Abd Rahman, Mohd Yusof Saari, Manfred Lenzen, Arunima Malik
Summary: The international fragmentation phenomenon has significantly changed the pattern of international trade, leading to the global value chain and multi-stages production process. This paper examines and compares the wage inequality effects of trading with TPPA, BRICS, and ASEAN economies in Malaysia using MRIO tables. The results indicate that trade with TPPA may significantly increase wage inequality, especially for Chinese ethnics, while exports to BRICS and ASEAN countries have minimal effects.