Material-cycle Society Research Articles

Examining the effectiveness of municipal solid waste management systems: An integrated cost–benefit analysis perspective with a financial cost modeling in Taiwan

In order to develop a sound material-cycle society, cost-effective municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems are required for the municipalities in the context of the integrated accounting system for MSW management. Firstly, this paper attempts to establish an integrated cost–benefit analysis (CBA) framework for evaluating the effectiveness of MSW management systems. In this paper, detailed cost/benefit items due to waste problems are particularly clarified. The stakeholders of MSW management systems, including the decision-makers of the municipalities and the citizens, are expected to reconsider the waste problems in depth and thus take wise actions with the aid of the proposed CBA framework. Secondly, focusing on the financial cost, this study develops a generalized methodology to evaluate the financial cost-effectiveness of MSW management systems, simultaneously considering the treatment technological levels and policy effects. The impacts of the influencing factors on the annual total and average financial MSW operation and maintenance (O&M) costs are analyzed in the Taiwanese case study with a demonstrative short-term future projection of the financial costs under scenario analysis. The established methodology would contribute to the evaluation of the current policy measures and to the modification of the policy design for the municipalities.

The Establishment of a Sound Material-Cycle Society and Environmental Sociology: From the Perspective of Social System

The Establishment of a Sound Material-Cycle Society and Environmental Sociology: From the Perspective of Social System

A Fundamental Understanding of the Sound Material-Cycle Society and Its Implications for Environmental Sociology

A Fundamental Understanding of the Sound Material-Cycle Society and Its Implications for Environmental Sociology

循環型社会に向けた一般廃棄物処理における都道府県の役割

わが国では，一般廃棄物の処理は市区町村の固有事務とされ，一般廃棄物中の再生資源の事業も原則として市区町村が行っている。再生資源が広域的に移動している現状では，循環型社会の構築に向けて，都道府県の役割が重要になってくると考えられる。都道府県を対象に行ったアンケート結果などを踏まえながら，今後，都道府県において，地域循環圏づくりの推進と，再生資源の広域的循環圏の構築が円滑に行われるよう，新たな仕組みを視野にいれた取り組みをわが国も進めるべきである。

日本における白金族金属のリサイクルポテンシャル評価

The production of the platinum group metals (PGM) consumes large quantities of energy and induces a lot of carbon dioxide. The promotion of PGM recycling is important to construct a sound material-cycle society. In this article, a dynamic material flow analysis for PGM in Japan was conducted in order to evaluate the recycling potential of PGM. In Japan, PGM demand for autocatalyst accounted for about 50% of the total PGM demand in 2008. Therefore, this study focused on platinum, palladium, and rhodium used as autocatalyst. The amount of material stock regarding these autocatalysts were estimated during 1975-2008. The amount of these autocatalysts generated from end-of-life vehicles (ELV) were also estimated during 1988-2008. As the result, the material stock of these metals as autocatalysts has monotonically increased during the investigated period. The amount of these autocatalysts generated from ELV has also increased, but the amount of recycled ones have been rather stable due to growing exportation of used automobiles, used auto engines, and used autocatalysts.

Implementing the Results of Material Flow Analysis

Implementing the Results of Material Flow Analysis

Hazardous industrial waste management in Vietnam: current status and future direction

This article concentrates on the existing situation of hazardous industrial waste management in Vietnam. To realize the importance of the development of a Vietnam national strategy based on the reduce, reuse, recycle (3R) concept to the year 2020, the author summarizes the practice of recycling activities of hazardous industrial waste and discusses the challenges arising from increases in the quantity and types of waste and the level of hazard of the waste generated considering that the technical infrastructure for handling and managing the waste is inadequate and the legal system on environmental protection is lacking. In order to improve the existing situation of hazardous industrial waste management, the Vietnamese Government recently has played an increasing role in promoting regional and international cooperation on environmental protection through ratifying the international conventions on the environment including the Basel Convention on the Control of Trans-boundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal and the International Labor Organization Convention on Safety in the Use of Chemicals at Work and by adhering to the concept of the material-cycle society. These steps are key opportunities for applying the principles of 3R to the recovery of value from hazardous waste in the future.

Eco-preparation of Fiber and Polymer Materials for Sustainable Development of Material-Cycle Society

Eco-preparation of Fiber and Polymer Materials for Sustainable Development of Material-Cycle Society

3R strategies for the establishment of an international sound material-cycle society

Focusing on the promotion of the “3Rs” – reduce, reuse, and recycle – the authors summarize the policy that Japan has evolved in waste management and recycling policy over the years. To realize an international sound material-cycle society (SMS), the 3R approaches should first be implemented in each individual country. After each country has established an SMS to the best of its ability, contribution toward reducing the environmental load internationally, especially across all of East Asia, will be achieved by having waste and recyclable resources that cannot be handled in one country effectively used or processed in other countries. The current situation of international resource circulation is described and a concept of SMS at an international level is proposed.

Material flow indicators to measure progress toward a sound material-cycle society

This article reviews recent progress in material flow analysis and its use in providing resource productivity indicators and is based on developments in Japanese policy toward a sound material-cycle society and in international forums such as within the Organisation for Economic Development and Cooperation, covering both institutional and methodological issues. Indicators derived from economy-wide material flow accounts such as direct material inputs are useful to demonstrate the absolute size of a physical economy and to reinforce the need to both reduce consumption of natural resources and limit waste generation. Interpretation of material flows as resources and potential environmental impacts is discussed, and linkages between the size of material flows and specific environmental impacts and damage must be further elaborated for use in environmental policy. Lessons learned from the practical use of resource productivity indicators are also discussed. Additional indicators are needed that can be used to evaluate the performance of microeconomic contributors. The need for an integrated approach that links upstream resource issues and downstream waste issues through the 3Rs concept or the circular economy/society concept is attracting increasing attention. Consequently, the accumulation of reliable scientific knowledge and data in this field in a fully international context is essential.

リサイクリング・プロセスと操業 光和精鉱（株）戸畑製造所におけるリサイクル事業

KOWA SEIKO Co., Ltd., engages in establishing a sound material-cycle society through waste treatment, recovers valuable metals such as Cu, Pb, Zn, etc. and produces raw materials such as pellets for iron blast furnace and iron oxide for cement making from various industrial wastes by chloridizing volatilization process which is our original technology. We have built a recycling system designed to achieve zero emissions and are still expanding the range of services as shown by the initiation of the recycling of molten fly ash in 2006.

Material flows of end-of-life home appliances in Japan

In Japan, the Law for the Recycling of Specified Kinds of Home Appliances came into effect in April 2001. This law aims to introduce appropriate waste treatment and promote the efficient use of resources so that we can achieve a sound material-cycle society. The law introduces a new framework for recycling that places obligations principally on the manufacturers and retailers of home appliances. Material flow analysis of this new framework is essential for evaluation of the system and for finding any problems that may exist. We therefore analyzed the material flows in facilities that recycle electrical home appliances. The mass balances in the recycling facilities were appropriately estimated. Then the potential destinations were surveyed and analyzed, even though the legal framework does not include flows after the recycling facilities. The potential destination after the facilities varies and depends on both the economy and the related regulations. Currently, considerable amounts of recovered materials are exported and recycled. However, the sustainability of these trades is unknown. Therefore, we should keep a close eye on the situation and make sure that our recycling system is adaptable to meet any future changes.

Eco-Efficiency (Factor X) for Electrical and Electronic Products and a Case Study on Home Appliances in a Household

Many institutes and companies are currently researching into eco-efficiency and Factor X as evaluation methods for environmentally conscious design. However, no standard method has been established. Moreover while the eco-efficiency of each home appliance is being improved, the increasing number and size of such home appliances may increase the overall environmental impact. This paper begins with describing a practical eco-efficiency (Factor X) indicator developed to evaluate environmentally conscious products or services. This indicator gives a rationalized relationship between their functional performance and environmental impacts. Next, the paper presents a brief case study of Factor X done in Japan that compared home appliances from 2003 with those from 1990 using such indicators. The number of home appliances used in a household increased 1.2 times from 65 to 79. However, GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions per year was 0.64 times the former amount, dropping from 8456 to 5383 kg–CO2eq/year, and the new resources and discarded resources per year became 0.99 times the previous amount, dropping from 231 to 228 kg/year. Therefore, GHG Factor X was 1.9 and Resource Factor X was 1.2. Although based on a restricted evaluation model, these results quantitatively show the potential to improve functional performance (as evaluated by the number of home appliances) and at the same time reduce their environmental impacts (as evaluated by GHG emissions and new resources and discarded resources). These results also show that Resource Factor X is more difficult to improve than GHG Factor X. Improving Resource Factor X and establishing a sound material-cycle society requires not only technological innovation and reform of the social system, but also a significant change in people’s awareness.

Study on a Development and an Application of the Material Balance Table to Support Formulation of a Sound Material-cycle Society at Regional Level

Study on a Development and an Application of the Material Balance Table to Support Formulation of a Sound Material-cycle Society at Regional Level

Role of Life Cycle Assessment in Reconstruction of Urban Environmental Infrastructures toward Sound Material-cycle Society

Role of Life Cycle Assessment in Reconstruction of Urban Environmental Infrastructures toward Sound Material-cycle Society

Construction of a Sludge-Composting Plant for Promotion of Sound Material-Cycle Society

Construction of a Sludge-Composting Plant for Promotion of Sound Material-Cycle Society

地域循環システムの環境負荷比較における再生品需給バランス考慮の重要性

It is necessary to select material cycle system with less environmental burdens for establishment of sound material-cycle society. Regional material cycle is often desirable in term of transport and price of recycled products. However, Supply and demand of recycled product in certain region are not always balanced, so the surplus must be disposed as usual. It has not been considered sufficiently in the existing studies applying Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to material cycle system. Influence of supply-demand balance of recycled products on comparative results of environmental burdens with material cycle systems was considered and formulated in this study. As a result, it was found that only the technological factors dominate the comparative results of the environmental burdens with the systems when both the possible supplies of recycled products are less than their demands. The demands become the factor when both of the supplies are more than them. The waste generation also becomes the factor when only the one side of the supply is more than the demand. As a case study, regional material cycle systems including garbage composting or biogasification in City A were assumed. Greenhouse gas emission with them was compared by application of LCA, and impacts of waste generation and product demand on the results were considered. As a result, compost demand influenced on difference of GHG emission among the systems stronger than liquid fertilizer demand. As a conclusion, supply-demand balance must be considered to exactly compare the environmental burdens with regional material cycle systems.

Inter-firm collaboration aiming at making a regional sound material-cycle society

Inter-firm collaboration aiming at making a regional sound material-cycle society