IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v6y2014i9p6158-6169d40073.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Life Cycle Inventory Analysis of Recycling: Mathematical and Graphical Frameworks

Author

Listed:
  • Jun Nakatani

    (Department of Urban Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan)

Abstract

A mathematical framework of the life cycle inventory (LCI) analysis in life cycle assessment (LCA) of recycling is systematically reviewed with the aid of graphical interpretation. First, the zero burden approach, which has been applied to LCI analyses of waste management systems, is theoretically justified in terms of relative comparison of waste management options. As recycling is a multi-functional system including the dual functions of waste management and secondary material production, the allocation issue needs to be handled in LCIs of recycling, and two forms of system expansion, i.e. , the avoided burden and product basket approaches, have dominated to avoid the allocation problem. Then, it is demonstrated that conclusions derived from both approaches should mathematically be identical as far as system boundaries are correctly defined. A criticism against system expansion is also reviewed from the viewpoint of ambiguity of what-if scenarios. As an approach to this issue, market-based consequential LCA is discussed in the context of LCI analyses of open-loop recycling.

Suggested Citation

  • Jun Nakatani, 2014. "Life Cycle Inventory Analysis of Recycling: Mathematical and Graphical Frameworks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(9), pages 1-12, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:6:y:2014:i:9:p:6158-6169:d:40073
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/6/9/6158/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/6/9/6158/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Max Rehberger & Michael Hiete, 2020. "Allocation of Environmental Impacts in Circular and Cascade Use of Resources—Incentive-Driven Allocation as a Prerequisite for Cascade Persistence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-28, May.
    2. Sarah Schmidt & David Laner, 2023. "The environmental performance of plastic packaging waste management in Germany: Current and future key factors," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 27(6), pages 1447-1460, December.
    3. Carlos Ferreira & José Ribeiro & Roland Clift & Fausto Freire, 2019. "A Circular Economy Approach to Military Munitions: Valorization of Energetic Material from Ammunition Disposal through Incorporation in Civil Explosives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-14, January.
    4. Toniolo, Sara & Mazzi, Anna & Pieretto, Chiara & Scipioni, Antonio, 2017. "Allocation strategies in comparative life cycle assessment for recycling: Considerations from case studies," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 117(PB), pages 249-261.
    5. Huysman, Sofie & Debaveye, Sam & Schaubroeck, Thomas & Meester, Steven De & Ardente, Fulvio & Mathieux, Fabrice & Dewulf, Jo, 2015. "The recyclability benefit rate of closed-loop and open-loop systems: A case study on plastic recycling in Flanders," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 53-60.
    6. Kristin Faye Olalo & Jun Nakatani & Tsuyoshi Fujita, 2022. "Optimal Process Network for Integrated Solid Waste Management in Davao City, Philippines," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-18, February.
    7. Christoph Stallkamp & Malte Hennig & Rebekka Volk & Frank Richter & Britta Bergfeldt & Salar Tavakkol & Frank Schultmann & Dieter Stapf, 2023. "Economic and environmental assessment of automotive plastic waste end‐of‐life options: Energy recovery versus chemical recycling," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 27(5), pages 1319-1334, October.
    8. Aurelija Burinskienė & Olga Lingaitienė & Artūras Jakubavičius, 2022. "Core Elements Affecting the Circularity of Materials," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-21, July.
    9. Pauline Deutz & Giuseppe Ioppolo, 2015. "From Theory to Practice: Enhancing the Potential Policy Impact of Industrial Ecology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-15, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:6:y:2014:i:9:p:6158-6169:d:40073. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.