Transformation of waste to resources : life cycle based benefits of the circular economy

Itten, René; Stucki, Matthias

Publication type:	Conference other
Type of review:	Peer review (abstract)
Title:	Transformation of waste to resources : life cycle based benefits of the circular economy
Authors:	Itten, René Stucki, Matthias
Conference details:	1st Life Cycle Innovation Conference (LCIC), Berlin, 29-31 August 2018
Issue Date:	30-Aug-2018
Language:	English
Subjects:	Platform; Life cycle assessment; Transformation; Circular systems; Green economy; Reuse
Subject (DDC):	338.927: Environmental economics and sustainable development
Abstract:	There is a plethora of wastes and by-products that remain unused in the traditional linear industrial system. The aim of a circular economy is to transform these unused wastes into usable resources. This transformation from a linear to a circular system is challenging due the limited knowledge on possibilities for the reuse of such waste products. In addition, the actual reuse is hindered by several constraints such as lacking information on the specific composition of the unused waste, on the availability of the unused waste in time and space as well as on the quantity of unused waste. The goal of the SHAREBOX Horizon 2020 project is the use information and communications technology for the development of a platform for the facilitation of circular approaches for material and waste flows within the European processing industries. The SHAREBOX platform is a database of available waste and resources required by companies. The matching of supply and demand by the platform enables the transformation of waste to resources. The platform also serves as the first point of contact between different partners in a circular system. Furthermore, the platform enables the identification of new synergies between the different subsectors of the industries as well as optimal matching from the perspective of a circular economy. We analysed the life cycle based impacts and benefits the transformation of different waste types to usable resources including relevant life cycle steps as beneficiation and transportation. The analysis for greenhouse gases, primary energy demand and mineral resource use revealed that the environmental benefit of transformation from waste to resources strongly depends on the reused material type as well as crucial properties like density of the material and geographic proximity of the partners of the synergy. However, the relative benefits were higher for the mineral resource compared to greenhouse gas emissions and primary energy demand, mainly due to the energy requirement in the steps beneficiation and transportation. Transformation from linear systems to circular systems can substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions; primary energy demand as well as mineral resource use of the whole value chain and contribute to a greener economy. However, the reuse of resources also cause additional impacts in the life cycle stage of beneficiation as well as transportation, especially for primary energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the completeness of the scope is crucial for the assessment and generalisations overarching different types of waste remain challenging.
Further description:	Oral presentation
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/10573
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Not specified
Departement:	Life Sciences and Facility Management
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Natural Resource Sciences (IUNR)
Published as part of the ZHAW project:	H2020: SHAREBOX
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Life Sciences und Facility Management

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Itten, R., & Stucki, M. (2018, August 30). Transformation of waste to resources : life cycle based benefits of the circular economy. 1st Life Cycle Innovation Conference (LCIC), Berlin, 29-31 August 2018.

Itten, R. and Stucki, M. (2018) ‘Transformation of waste to resources : life cycle based benefits of the circular economy’, in 1st Life Cycle Innovation Conference (LCIC), Berlin, 29-31 August 2018.

R. Itten and M. Stucki, “Transformation of waste to resources : life cycle based benefits of the circular economy,” in 1st Life Cycle Innovation Conference (LCIC), Berlin, 29-31 August 2018, Aug. 2018.

ITTEN, René und Matthias STUCKI, 2018. Transformation of waste to resources : life cycle based benefits of the circular economy. In: 1st Life Cycle Innovation Conference (LCIC), Berlin, 29-31 August 2018. Conference presentation. 30 August 2018

Itten, René, and Matthias Stucki. 2018. “Transformation of Waste to Resources : Life Cycle Based Benefits of the Circular Economy.” Conference presentation. In 1st Life Cycle Innovation Conference (LCIC), Berlin, 29-31 August 2018.

Itten, René, and Matthias Stucki. “Transformation of Waste to Resources : Life Cycle Based Benefits of the Circular Economy.” 1st Life Cycle Innovation Conference (LCIC), Berlin, 29-31 August 2018, 2018.