Quantitative Analysis of Material Flow of Used Mobile Phones in Japan

Abstract

Since Japan is importing most of natural resources, reducing amount of material usage is an emerging problem. Plus, reducing environmental impact of product lifecycle is also important. This paper first, illustrated a material flow of used mobile phones with quantitative information. Then, a sensitivity analysis was applied to clarify important factors in reducing material consumption and environmental impact. Result showed that transportation length has a big influence on environmental impact. Thus, an efficient logistics can be a key in reducing environmental impact. The material flow showed that a big portion of used phones are stored in homes. To collect such stored mobile phones, official network called MRN (mobile phone network) is the best strategy in reducing material consumption and avoiding problems regarding outflow. Finally, the paper concluded that sensitivity analysis of material flow is a useful method in determining proper strategy of treatment of used products.