IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i22p9639-d447321.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Danish Plastic Mass Flows Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Edward Vingwe

    (Department of Planning and Development, The Technical Faculty of IT and Design, Aalborg University, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark)

  • Edgar Towa

    (Institute for Environmental Management and Land-Use Planning, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium)

  • Arne Remmen

    (Department of Planning and Development, The Technical Faculty of IT and Design, Aalborg University, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark)

Abstract

In this paper, material flows and resource potentials for plastics at a national level in Denmark are mapped using an Environmentally Extended Multiregional Input-Output (EE-MRIO) database. EE-MRIO offers an operative improvement to current and prevalent methods for assessing the industrial and societal metabolism of resources, including plastics. The Exiobase is applied to map (1) the major sources, (2) calculate the total supply, (3) uses of plastics and waste generation, and (4) end of life pathways in order to indicate the potentials of plastics in the circular economy in Denmark with a focus on recycling. Furthermore, it elaborates how and why this method for performing Mass Flow Analysis (MFA) differs from mainstream assessments of material flows and from default uses of national statistical data. Overall, the results are that Denmark has a total supply of ≈551 kilotonnes (Kt) of plastics, out of which ≈522 Kt are used domestically and ≈168 Kt of plastic waste are generated annually. Out of the yearly amount of plastic waste, ≈50% is incinerated and 26% is recycled. These results indicate significant potentials for applying circular economy strategies and identify relevant sectors for closing the plastic loops. However, other initiatives are necessary, such as improvements in product design strategies, in the collection and sorting systems as well as in cross-sectoral collaboration.

Suggested Citation

  • Edward Vingwe & Edgar Towa & Arne Remmen, 2020. "Danish Plastic Mass Flows Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-22, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:22:p:9639-:d:447321
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/22/9639/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/22/9639/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Konstantin Stadler & Richard Wood & Tatyana Bulavskaya & Carl†Johan Södersten & Moana Simas & Sarah Schmidt & Arkaitz Usubiaga & José Acosta†Fernández & Jeroen Kuenen & Martin Bruckner & Stefan, 2018. "EXIOBASE 3: Developing a Time Series of Detailed Environmentally Extended Multi†Regional Input†Output Tables," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 22(3), pages 502-515, June.
    2. Stefano Merciai & Jannick Schmidt, 2018. "Methodology for the Construction of Global Multi†Regional Hybrid Supply and Use Tables for the EXIOBASE v3 Database," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 22(3), pages 516-531, June.
    3. Clare Ostle & Richard C. Thompson & Derek Broughton & Lance Gregory & Marianne Wootton & David G. Johns, 2019. "The rise in ocean plastics evidenced from a 60-year time series," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-6, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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


    Cited by:

    1. Daming Li & Canyao Liu & Yu Shi & Jiaming Song & Yiliang Zhang, 2022. "Trade Flow Optimization Model for Plastic Pollution Reduction," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-18, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Francesco Bandarin & Enrico Ciciotti & Marco Cremaschi & Giovanna Madera & Paolo Perulli & Diana Shendrikova, 2020. "Which Future for Cities after COVID-19 An international Survey," Reports, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, October.
    2. Popescu, Ioana-Stefania & Gibon, Thomas & Hitaj, Claudia & Rubin, Mirco & Benetto, Enrico, 2023. "Are SRI funds financing carbon emissions? An input-output life cycle assessment of investment funds," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    3. Jingwen Huo & Peipei Chen & Klaus Hubacek & Heran Zheng & Jing Meng & Dabo Guan, 2022. "Full‐scale, near real‐time multi‐regional input–output table for the global emerging economies (EMERGING)," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(4), pages 1218-1232, August.
    4. Shepard, Jun U. & Pratson, Lincoln F., 2020. "Hybrid input-output analysis of embodied energy security," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 279(C).
    5. Harry C. Wilting & Aafke M. Schipper & Olga Ivanova & Diana Ivanova & Mark A. J. Huijbregts, 2021. "Subnational greenhouse gas and land‐based biodiversity footprints in the European Union," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(1), pages 79-94, February.
    6. Xiang Gao & Sandy Dall'erba & Brenna Ellison & Andre F. T. Avelino & Cuihong Yang, 2022. "When one cannot bypass the byproducts: Plastic packaging waste embedded in production and export," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(4), pages 1460-1474, August.
    7. von Kalckreuth, Ulf, 2022. "Pulling Ourselves Up by our Bootstraps: The Greenhouse Gas Value of Products, Enterprises and Industries," VfS Annual Conference 2022 (Basel): Big Data in Economics 264036, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    8. Franco Donati & Sidney Niccolson & Arjan de Koning & Bart Daniels & Maarten Christis & Katrien Boonen & Theo Geerken & João F. D. Rodrigues & Arnold Tukker, 2021. "Modeling the circular economy in environmentally extended input–output: A web application," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(1), pages 36-50, February.
    9. Hanspeter Wieland & Stefan Giljum & Nina Eisenmenger & Dominik Wiedenhofer & Martin Bruckner & Anke Schaffartzik & Anne Owen, 2020. "Supply versus use designs of environmental extensions in input–output analysis: Conceptual and empirical implications for the case of energy," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 24(3), pages 548-563, June.
    10. Nicolò Golinucci & Nicolò Stevanato & Federica Inzoli & Mohammad Amin Tahavori & Negar Namazifard & Lamya Hussain & Benedetta Camilli & Matteo Vincenzo Rocco & Emanuela Colombo, 2020. "Comprehensive and Integrated Impact Assessment Framework for Development Policies Evaluation: Definition and Application To Kenya," Reports, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, November.
    11. Giacomo Falchetta & Nicolò Golinucci & Matteo Vincenzo Rocco, 2021. "Environmental and Energy Implications of Meat Consumption Pathways in Sub-Saharan Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-22, June.
    12. Simon Schulte & Arthur Jakobs & Stefan Pauliuk, 2021. "Relaxing the import proportionality assumption in multi-regional input–output modelling," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 10(1), pages 1-21, December.
    13. Albert, Osei-Owusu Kwame & Marianne, Thomsen & Jonathan, Lindahl & Nino, Javakhishvili Larsen & Dario, Caro, 2020. "Tracking the carbon emissions of Denmark's five regions from a producer and consumer perspective," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    14. Pérez-Sánchez, Laura & Velasco-Fernández, Raúl & Giampietro, Mario, 2021. "The international division of labor and embodied working time in trade for the US, the EU and China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    15. Alessandro De Matteis & Fethiye Burcu Turkmen Ceylan & Mona Daoud & Anne Kahuthu, 2022. "A systemic approach to tackling ocean plastic debris," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 136-145, March.
    16. Ge, Zewen & Geng, Yong & Wei, Wendong & Jiang, Mingkun & Chen, Bin & Li, Jiashuo, 2023. "Embodied carbon emissions induced by the construction of hydropower infrastructure in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    17. Fernández-Amador, Octavio & Francois, Joseph F. & Oberdabernig, Doris A. & Tomberger, Patrick, 2023. "Energy footprints and the international trade network: A new dataset. Is the European Union doing it better?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 204(PA).
    18. Gebara, C.H. & Laurent, A., 2023. "National SDG-7 performance assessment to support achieving sustainable energy for all within planetary limits," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    19. Cordier, Mateo & Uehara, Takuro & Baztan, Juan & Jorgensen, Bethany & Yan, Huijie, 2021. "Plastic pollution and economic growth: The influence of corruption and lack of education," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    20. Stede, Jan & Pauliuk, Stefan & Hardadi, Gilang & Neuhoff, Karsten, 2021. "Carbon pricing of basic materials: Incentives and risks for the value chain and consumers," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 189.

    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:12:y:2020:i:22:p:9639-:d:447321. 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.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with 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.