Transformation of Waste to Resources: Life Cycle Based Benefits of the Circular Economy

Transcription

1 Transformation of Waste to Resources: Life Cycle Based Benefits of the Circular Economy René Itten Research Group Life Cycle Assessment Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) 1 st Life Cycle Innovation Conference 30 th August, Tagungswerk Jerusalem Kirche, Berlin, Germany

2 Contents 1. Industrial Symbiosis 2. Linear vs circular system 3. LCA of industrial symbiosis 4. Geographic proximity 5. Resource categories and savings 6. Conclusions 2

3 Industrial Symbiosis: From trash to treasure 3

4 INPUT Linear industrial system System boundary RESOURCES PRODUCTS WASTE EMISSIONS 4

5 Less INPUT Symbiosis Circular and symbiotic industrial system SHAREBOX Less RESOURCES Symbiosis A synergistic industrial (eco-)system PRODUCTS Less WASTE Reduced material input Reduced resource consumption Reduced emissions Reduced wastes Cost savings Cost-effective reduction in resource use Less EMISSIONS 5

6 Key objective of SHAREBOX: Transforming wastes to resources Facilitating industrial symbiosis through ICT and data intelligence There is no waste, only resources Waste oil can be used as alternative fuel Wastewater can be reused (in processes with low quality requirements) Waste heat can be used in drying processes etc. HAVE Bio-waste (fruit peel, ) Packaging waste Waste copper Waste (vegetable) oil Waste batteries Electronic waste Paper, cardboard, wood Wastewater Waste Heat Match? WANT Sawmill dust and shavings Packaging waste Waste oil Food waste Debris waste Iron and steel scrap Pallets Water Construction waste Challenges for industrial symbiosis Information flow and knowledge of opportunities Lack of a secure platform including cross-sectorial experience Inadequate resource information: contamination, classification and availability Initial effort needed for the implementation before the cost benefit for companies 6

7 INPUT Less INPUT Symbiosis Savings INPUT Symbiosis LCA of industrial symbiosis: allocation of benefits The transformation of waste to resources is an End-of-Life process Open-loop recycling requires allocation of environmental benefits 50:50 rule, Avoided burden (100:0), Cut-off (0:100) or System expansion The symbiotic system can be complex and include (a lot) more than two partners How can the benefits of the symbiotic system be quantified? System expansion allows the quantification of benefits of a complex symbiotic system System A (non-symbiotic) System B (symbiotic) Benefit System boundary RESOURCES SHAREBOX Less RESOURCES SHAREBOX Savings RESOURCES PRODUCTS WASTE Symbiosis PRODUCTS Less WASTE Symbiosis Savings WASTE EMISSIONS Less EMISSIONS Savings EMISSIONS 7

8 Transportation: tipping point Reduced impact Increased impact 8

9 Geographic proximity NISP Travelled distances of shared resources facilitated by the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) in the UK (total 979) Half of synergies completed within 34 km radius One-quarter of synergies involved distances greater than 64 km radius Some resources travel over 320 km: Textiles Metals Minerals Paper and card Hazardous waste Jensen et al. (2011), in Resources, Conservation and Recycling 9

10 GHG emissions in kg CO 2 -eq Tipping point for PET with actual numbers Distance in km Savings due to the recycling of 1 kg PET Transport of reused PET Transport (Median distance, 33 km) Transport (Max distance, 433km) The tipping point for PET is about km of transport by lorry 10

11 Savings and resource categories Savings due to synergies quantified for Primary energy consumption Primary resource consumption Greenhouse gas emissions 12 categories for saved resources as well as waste disposal services The categories include: Plastics, ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals Combustibles, glass, concrete Paper and cardboard, textiles, kitchen and food waste Silt or soil, garden and plant waste, wood 11

12 Contribution of different resource categories 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Primary energy Non-ferrous metals Plastics Silt / soil Primary resource consumption Kitchen / food waste Woods Concrete Gyspum Greenhous gas emissions Savings for 16 different synergies Primary energy savings equivalent to about barrels of crude oil Primary resource consumption savings equivalent to about 7.4 kg gold Greenhouse gas emission savings equivalent to about 50 million km driven by car Ferrous metals 12

13 Results and conclusions Transformation from linear systems to circular systems can substantially reduce environmental impacts and contribute to a greener economy. Quantification of benefits has to include additional impacts due to life cycle stages such as reprocessing and transportation. The environmental benefit strongly depends on the reused resource category and geographic proximity of the synergy partners. Scope completeness is crucial for the assessment. Generalisations for different resources remain challenging. 13

14 S P I R E E n e r g y a nd r e s o ur c e m a n a g e m e n t s y s t e m s f o r i m p r o v e d e f f i ci e n c y in t h e p r o c e s s i nd u s t r i e s G r a n t A g r e e m e n t no Thanks for your attention! Partners René Itten Research Group Life Cycle Assessment ittn@zhaw.ch,

15 References Jensen, P., Basson, L., Hellawell, E., Bailey, M., & Leach M. (2011), Quantifying geographic proximity : Experiences from the United Kingdom s National Industrial Symbiosis Programme Chertow, M. & Lombardi R. (2005) Quantifying Economic and Environmental Benefits of Co-Located Firms Lombardi, R. & Laybourn, P. (2012) Redefining Industrial Symbiosis: Crossing Academic Practitioner Boundaries 15