Coupling data envelopment analysis with material flow analysis to evaluate the anthropogenic iron cycle

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce an approach to combine material flow analysis (MFA) with data envelopment analysis (DEA) in order to evaluate resource efficiency of different stages in the material cycles in various countries. The approach is exemplified for the end-of-life stage of the anthropogenic iron cycle, comparing data of 48 countries. The proposed performance criteria are defined through a common MFA system definition so that the model could also be expanded to indicate the overall efficiency of the system, while emphasizing the relative importance of the different stages. Steps and implementation of the proposed methodology are explained with the help of a case study for iron.