The Circular Economy: why, how, when? Peter Rem 20-9-2017 Delft University of Technology Challenge the future
My background: theoretical physics Leiden, Twente, Grenoble (ILL), Shell Research I think you should be more explicit here in step two Cartoon by Sidney Harris
TU Delft R&R Chair (15 fte) Mission statement Creating innovations in recycling technology with a positive economical and environmental impact Strategic raw material supply of Europe
Spin-out companies Recycling technology Resteel (Fe), 2007 sold in 2014 to IFE (Austria) Inashco (Al Au), 2009 sold in 2015 to Waterland Umincorp (Polymers, Cu Au), 2013 C2CA Technology (Concrete), 2016
The Circular Economy Why, How, and When? Or: Is it possible to turn the study of circularity into Science...?
In pictures...
In words... Sustainability and the Circular Economy to make development sustainable to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. 1987, Mrs. Gro Harlem Brundtland the economy of products and services should be restorative and regenerative. A nice start, but not very specific Ellen McArthur Foundation
A circular economy: for whom? Means, Motive and Opportunity Means Waste management infrastructure Motive Problematic access to natural resources, Sensitive environment Opportunity Enough waste to meet raw materials demand and reduce energy imports
How the Dutch view circularity... Tons of waste Holland leads the world when it comes to waste management. The growth of waste production has stopped and our waste management industry is sustainable and innovative. 80% of our waste is being recycled and 16% is turned to energy. Only 4% is being land filled.... The collection and processing of packaging waste proceeds well. Targets are being met. Well done, citizens and industry! State Secretary Atsma addressing parliament, 2011
70 60 50 40 30 How Europe views circularity... Billions of of recycled materials value Billion euro 20 10 (EEA report: Earnings, jobs and innovation) 0
European and Dutch visions compared Polymer packaging: euro s earned vs tons collected (2012)
How the Germans view circularity... % of raw materials demand Recycled raw materials as value % of raw materials value used in construction and manufacturing Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln
70 60 50 European versus German view Correction for raw materials prices Billion euro 40 30 Crude oil Copper grade A 20 10 0
Shared vision on metric still wanting Primary raw materials German view (% of demand) A success in one view is a failure in another view! Dutch view (tons collected) EU view ( s earned)
What do we expect from circularity? Why and how metric how and when Our view: Protect our present standard of living: avoid crises / long term drop due to rising cost of resources, Within a free market economy, and, a Hierarchy of democratic goverment institutions (city, region, country, federation, world)
Competition at all scales Resources, products and services Governments at all scales will tax stressed resources and stimulate industry that maximizes Stress may depend on local conditions!
Why? Securing wealth, Avoiding conflicts Prices of metals & energy (Index Mundi) Conflicts affecting EU raw material and energy imports 2003: oil 2005: gas 2010: phosphorite 2012: rare earths, tungsten and molybdenum 2012: oil 2014-16: gas Sea level +0.5 m (IPCC) +0.2 m In, Ga, Ag, Au, PGM (Economic depletion) 2000 Now 2100
A Metric for a Circular Economy? Key performance indicator should be relevant, robust and cheap
Contribution to standard of living Market price of products and services Vast majority of stressed resources is sold as part of a product or service, so for any industry, sector or product, Contribution to standard of living Value added to products & services
Contribution to resource stress Market cost of resource Cost of materials, energy, water, emission rights increase with Scarcity and competition International conflicts over access to resources Taxes associated with environmental pollution
But what about CO 2? Carbon footprint strongly correlates with material cost 100000 10000 Au Pt Carbon footprint (kg/kg) 1000 100 10 1 0,1 Al Cu Alumina Pb Steel Cement Glass Paper Wood Brick Mg Zn Ti Ni Ag Pd Data from: Timothy G. Gutowski, Sahil Sahni, Julian M. Allwood, Michael F. Ashby and Ernst Worrell, Phil Trans R Soc A 371: 20120003 0,01 0,01 0,1 1 10 100 1000 10000 100000 Price of material ($/kg)
Imports and EU production Resource efficiency Imports 1 Fossil fuels, ores & materials Materials Secondary ore Parts Reuse Products 40 Recycle
Resource efficiency Indicators Viewpoint of production Should be maximized
Resource efficiency Indicators Viewpoint of waste management Should 1
Disruptive innovations Is technology able to deliver circularity?
Resteel Technology Replacing hand sorting impurities from steel scrap January 2014: IFE Aufbereitungstechnik GmbH
Principle of CSM Distribution of D-factor for IBA steel scrap Cumulative mass 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% Clean steel 10% Copper containing parts 0% 0,00 0,02 0,04 0,06 0,08 0,10 0,12 Dem agnetizing factor
Beverwijk, the Netherlands (near Tata steel) IBA Steel scrap upgrading plant
Inashco technology ADR technology for Incinerator Bottom Ash (IBA) Moisture creates strong water bonds between fines and act as a glue on entire fraction June 2015: Waterland
Non-ferrous metal value in IBA Fine non-ferrous metals (-12 mm) Fine heavy non-ferrous in IBA (ca 600 M /y worldwide): 60-70% copper 20-25% zinc 5-10% lead 0.3% silver, Traces of gold, palladium and platinum Inashco presently creates 50 M /y in non-ferrous (about 500 jobs)
Earnings, jobs and innovation (EEA) EU Recycled materials value: 12% of total use Plastic, Concrete and Glass are underperforming in terms of recycling ADR Technology
Recovery of electronics metals from IBA Novel post-adr technology Post-ADR innovation for the recovery of very fine metal particles
Recovery of metals from electronics Novel post-adr technology Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Natuurkunde, Feb. 2016
Dealing with complexity and fines kg/m 3 1070 1200 Magnetic Density Separation (expected 2018) 200 mm 1700 Can separate into many products Can deal with very small particles (down to 0.5 mm) 4000 8900 Magnet
Logarithmic sorting Making many (N), very pure products Standard recycling process (Mass of waste M, unit capacity C):
Logarithmic sorting Making many (N), very pure products Logarithmic sorting process (Mass of waste M, unit capacity C): Actually even:
Logarithmic sorting Making many (N), very pure products
High definition sensor sorting Making very pure products requires high resolution
High definition sensor sorting Flakes are manipulated by ca 1 billion droplets/s Expected 2018
When will we go circular? Circular economy by ~2050 requires major initiative 100% Circular economy? Smart regulations Holistic vision Ownership of waste Germany 30 years EU Slovenia Business as usual 0% 2000 Now 2050 2100
What can universities do? What do we do at Delft? Disruptive innovation Profitable businesses Creating economic drivers Creating public strategic drivers Societal impact
Research & innovation Yearly investments at EU level Resources & Recycling Estimate: creating a circular economy by 2050 Disruptive All EU R&D 1 million 400 million 25 billion 250 billion
Strategic innovation A challenge for the public sector in the 21 st century I think you should be more explicit here in step two Adapted from Sidney Harris cartoon
Thank you