Exploring the Impact of Recycling on Demand-Supply Balance of Critical Materials in Green Transition: A Dynamic Multi-Regional Waste Input-Output Analysis.

Addressing our climate urgency requires various renewable and low-carbon technologies, which often contain critical materials that face potential supply risks. Existing studies on the critical material implications of green transition have used various methodologies, each with pros and cons in providing a system understanding. Here, we integrated the dynamic material flow analysis and input-output modeling principles in an integrated multi-regional waste input-output model to assess the demand-supply balance and recycling potentials for cobalt, lithium, neodymium, and dysprosium under various energy scenarios projected to 2050.

Effects of Circularity Interventions in the European Plastic Packaging Sector.

Low levels of plastics circularity today reflect major challenges for the sector to reduce environmental impacts and a need for wider systemic change. In this work, we investigated the potential for climate and socioeconomic benefits of circular economy (CE) interventions in the plastic packaging system. By means of a mixed-unit input-output (IO) model, we performed a comparative scenario analysis for the development of demand and waste management up to 2030 within the EU-28 (EU27 + United Kingdom).

Keep circularity meaningful, inclusive and practical: A view into the plastics value chain.

New policies to promote the circular economy have created an urgent need for businesses and public authorities to quantify and monitor the level of circularity of materials, components and products. However, flows of materials, components and products through society are inherently complex, involving intricate value chains, many stakeholders, and interests. We argue that current actions may be overly focused on superficial effects, and losing sight of true circular economy goals.

Life Cycle Assessment of prospective MSW management based on integrated management planning in Campo Grande, Brazil.

A crucial first step in transforming problematic waste management into sustainable integrated systems is comprehensive planning and analysis of environmental and socio-economic effects. The work presented here is a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) that addressed the environmental performance of prospective development pathways for the municipal solid waste (MSW) management system in a large urban area, i.e.

The economic value of imports of combustible waste in systems with high shares of district heating and variable renewable energy.

This study analyses the socio-economic value of trade of combustible waste, taking Denmark as an example for importing countries with large district heating networks and already high shares of variable renewable energy. An integrated systems analysis framework allowed to assess under which circumstances import of wastes leads to less expensive waste management and energy, accounting for increasing ambitions for a circular economy and renewable energy. The dynamics of both systems are captured through two optimization models, which are solved simultaneously.

Environmental assessment of existing and alternative options for management of municipal solid waste in Brazil.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to evaluate and compare three different categories of management systems for municipal solid waste (MSW) in Brazil: (1) mixed waste direct disposal systems, (2) separate collection systems, based on wet-dry streams, and (3) mixed waste mechanical-biological systems, including materials recovery. System scenarios were built around main treatment techniques available and applicable in developing countries, and considered barriers as well as potential synergies between waste management and other industrial production. In the first category systems, we measured the impact magnitude of improper disposal sites (semi-controlled and controlled dumps) still used for approximately 40% of collected MSW, and found that sanitary landfills could decrease it 3-5 fold (e.

The climate footprint of imports of combustible waste in systems with high shares of district heating and variable renewable energy.

This work addressed the role of waste-to-energy (WtE) within the growing paradigm of the circular economy (CE), by combining long-term co-optimization of waste management and energy systems, to determine possible economic and climate impact consequences of future WtE capacity utilization. Co-optimization was realized by integration of a network optimization model for the waste sector, OptiFlow, with the partial equilibrium energy systems model Balmorel. The modelling framework allows to determine the effects of waste-derived energy production within energy systems, including induced and avoided energy (production and long-term investments).

Towards increased recycling of household waste: Documenting cascading effects and material efficiency of commingled recyclables and biowaste collection.

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management remains a challenge, even in Europe where several countries now possess capacity to treat all arising MSW, while others still rely on unsustainable disposal pathways. In the former, strategies to reach higher recycling levels are affecting existing waste-to-energy (WtE) treatment infrastructure, by inducing additional overcapacity and this in turn rebounds as pressure on the waste and recyclable materials markets. This study addresses such situations by documenting the effects, in terms of resource recovery, global warming potential (GWP) and cumulative energy demand (CED), of a transition from a self-sufficient waste management system based on minimal separate collection and efficient WtE, towards a system with extended separate collection of recyclable materials and biowaste.

Central sorting and recovery of MSW recyclable materials: A review of technological state-of-the-art, cases, practice and implications for materials recycling.

Today's waste regulation in the EU comprises stringent material recovery targets and calls for comprehensive programs in order to achieve them. A similar movement is seen in the US where more and more states and communities commit to high diversion rates from landfills. The present paper reviews scientific literature, case studies and results from pilot projects, on the topic of central sorting of recyclable materials commonly found in waste from households.

Energy implications of mechanical and mechanical-biological treatment compared to direct waste-to-energy.

Primary energy savings potential is used to compare five residual municipal solid waste treatment systems, including configurations with mechanical (MT) and mechanical-biological (MBT) pre-treatment, which produce waste-derived fuels (RDF and SRF), biogas and/or recover additional materials for recycling, alongside a system based on conventional mass burn waste-to-energy and ash treatment. To examine the magnitude of potential savings we consider two energy efficiency levels (state-of-the-art and best available technology), the inclusion/exclusion of heat recovery (CHP vs. PP) and three different background end-use energy production systems (coal condensing electricity and natural gas heat, Nordic electricity mix and natural gas heat, and coal CHP energy quality allocation).