Abstract
As for any mineral deposit, the development of the “urban mine” requires adequate knowledge of resources and reserves. Regarding resources, a useful tool in this context is material flow analysis (MFA), which aims to map flows and stocks of materials within an arbitrary system. This chapter discusses the potential and limitations of MFA. This approach is illustrated with an application to rare earths in fluorescent lighting and in permanent NdFeB magnets used in various products destined to become waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The application provides estimates of flows of terbium, europium, yttrium, neodymium, and dysprosium into use and of in-use stocks. Flows and stocks are provided for reference year 2010, and recycling potentials are projected for 2020.
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