TOO4TO MODULE

Sustainable Resource
Management (SRM)
PART 2

2
ANALYSIS OF RESOURCE FLOWS AND
MANAGEMENT
Data; Indicators; Methodologies; Visualization and evaluation

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Analysis is the base of management

„You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure“ (Peter Drucker)

Analysis of the state of the art, gaps, trends (past and future) and
identification of the interlinkages between different indicators and
factors is essential for the resource management and improvements
towards sustainability.

This part of the module will introduce main methodologies, indicators

and data sources which would be useful for the material flow analysis.

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Methods and tools
This presentation will describe shortly few of the bellow mentioned methodologies and will
provide the links to the additional references in order to develop a deeper evaluation
competences.

There are various methodologies for and additional methodologies oriented

analysis of resources and their towards different application scales and
management activities objects and objectives, like:
- Material Flow Analysis - Circularity analysis
- Material Flow Cost Accounting - Industrial Ecology
- Environmental Impact Analysis
- Life Cycle Analysis - Impact of sectors on materials flows
- Sustainability Assessment (Mass), climate change (Carbon)
and value creation (Value) MCV
- Cost-Benefit Analysis Scoreboard
- Input-Output (IO) models - Risk analysis
- Sankey Diagram Methodology - Energy flow analysis
- and etc.

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Material flow analysis –
method to describe, investigate, and evaluate the metabolism of
anthropogenic and geogenic systems

Material flow analysis is quantification MFA is one of assessment tools for exploring
and assessment of resource sustainability.
materials (water, food, excreta, • MFA connects the sources, the pathways, and
wastewater) and the intermediate and final sinks of material.
substances (nitrogen, phosphorus, The results of MFA can be controlled by a simple
carbon, ...) mass balance comparing all inputs, stocks and
mass flows (primary natural resources) outputs of the process, based on the law of
conservation.
in a (human) system (city, country...)
• MFA – attractive as a decision-support tool in
during a defined period. resource management, waste& environmental
management and policy assessment.

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 The objectives of MFA
• Delineate a system of material flows and
stocks by well-defined, uniform terms
• Reduce the complexity of the system as far o Early recognition of potentially harmful or
as possible while still guaranteeing a basis for beneficial accumulations and depletions of
sound decision making
stocks, as well as for timely prediction of future
• Assess the relevant flows and stocks in environmental loadings
quantitative terms, thereby applying the
balance principle and revealing sensitivities o The setting of priorities regarding measures
and uncertainties for environmental protection, resource
• Present results about flows and stocks of a conservation, and waste management (what
system in a reproducible, understandable, and is most important; what comes first?)
transparent way
o The design of goods, processes, and systems
that promote environmental protection,
• Use the results as a basis for managing resource conservation, and waste management
resources, the environment, and wastes, in (green design, ecodesign, design for recycling,
particular for:
design for disposal, etc.)

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Concept of material flow analysis
The material flow analysis is based The following slides will present
on the so called MFA methodology developed by
“principle of mass conservation”: P.H Brunner and H.Rechberger,
Technical University of Viena
input = output ± stock changes
(TU Wien)
MFA defines terms and
procedures to establish material
balances of systems

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 Methodology of MFA - procedures:

1. Identification of the relevant

material flows
2. System analysis (selection of the
relevant matter, processes,
indicator substances and system
boundaries)
3. Quantification of mass flows of
matter and indicator substances
4. Identification of weak points in the
system
5. Development and evaluation of
scenarios and schematic
representation, interpretation of
the results
Based on: Practical Handbook of Material Flow Analysis. P.H. Brunner, H. Rechberger.

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Main terms of MFA

The exact definition of terms and

procedures is a prerequisite for
generating reproducible and transparent
results and for facilitating
communication among users of MFA.

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Terms of MFA
• substance • transfer function
• good • transfer coefficient kx,j
• material • materials accounting
• process • activity
• system • anthroposphere
• system boundaries • anthropogenic substance flow
• flow • geogenic substance flow
• stock • regional substance flow
• substance flow analysis (SFA) • source
• material flow analysis (MFA) • sink
• balance (balance of goods and materials) • final sink
• input-output-analysis
https://www.stan2web.net/support/mfa-basics/terms#Stoff
Main terms of MFA (1)
A substance is any (chemical) element or compound composed of uniform
units.
All substances are characterized by a unique and identical constitution and are
thus homogenous (e.g. N, C, Cu, NH4+, CO2).

In MFA, chemical elements asd compounds both are correctly addressed as

substances.

Using this definition makes clear that “drinking water” is not a substance. It is
composed of substances such as pure water, calcium, and many trace elements.

Even “PVC” is not a substance, because it consists of polyvinyl chloride and

some additives.
Main terms of MFA (2)
Goods are defined as economic entities of matter with a positive or negative
value (e.g. drinking water, fuel oil, and solid waste, sewage, respectively).

The term good describes merchandise and wares.

The opposite of good is not a bad, meaning that waste meaterials are also
goods (noun).

Some goods have no economic value, i.e. they are neutral in their values,
e.g. air, exhaust or precipitation.
Terms of MFA (1)

The term material serves as an umbrella term for both substances and
goods. Therefore it includes raw materials as well as all physically or
chemically modified substances.

The term material is used in cases where goods and substances are
considered, or when it is not yet clear at which level (goods or substances)
an analysis will take place.

So carbon as well as wood can be addressed as a material.

Flow of good consist substances

https://www.stan2web.net/support/mfa-basics/goods-vs-substances

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Terms of MFA (2)
A process is defined as the Usually, processes are defined as black box
processes, meaning that processes within the
• transformation, box are not taken into account. Only the inputs
• transport, or
and outputs are of interest.

• storage of goods and substances.

If the internal processes are of interest, the
process must be divided into two ore more sub-
Processes are: processes.
• the metabolism of a city, human, or animal
• an activity in a household (e.g. waste
separation), or plant (e.g. waste incineration note that
furnace, paper mill, landfill) some authors prefer the term reservoir
• anactivity in an environmental medium (e.g. instead of process.
It is not the same!
atmosphere, hydrosphere, or soil)
Reservoir is merely synonym for stock.
• a service (e.g. collection of residual waste)
Terms of MFA (3)

The total amount of materials stored in a process is designated as the „stock of

materials“.

There are two different types of stocks:

• e.g. the waste in an incineration plant – new waste results in an increase of the stock,
incineration leads to a decrease of the stock
• e.g. the building as part of the infrastructure – a new building results in an increase of
the stock, the demolition of a building makes a decrease of the stock
process
stock +/-
 good /
substance
Terms of MFA (4)
A flow is defined as a “mass flow rate”, i.e. the ratio of mass per time that flows
through a conductor, e.g. a water pipe.
The physical unit of flow might be given in units of kg/sec or t/yr.

A flux is defined as a flow per “cross section”. In MFA, commonly used cross
sections are a person, the surface area of the system, or an entity such as a
private household or enterprise.
The flux might be given in units like kg/(sec.m²).
 The system is the actual
object of an MFA
investigation
Terms of MFA (5)
A system is defined by a group of
elements, and the interaction between
these elements.
In MFA, the elements of a
system are named processes and flows.
A system might be an enterprise (e.g.
waste incineration plant), a region, a
nation, or a private household.
In an MFA-system every good
is clearly identified through a process of
origin and a target process.
Example of a system
S Imports = 9,4 Stocks = 140 + 1,4 S Exports = 8,0

Scrap metals
0,8 Steel
Steel 7,2
5,3
Imports Exports
Consumption Scrap
Ore
Produc- Steel Produc- Products Con- waste Waste metals
3,3 tion of 4,7 tion of 3,8 sumption 1 mgmt. 0,8
steel goods 44 +2,8
Production waste Residual
1,4 0,3 0,1 materials
ore 0,2
Iron flows [m t/a] Scrap metals
Iron stocks [m t]
Ore mine Production waste Landfills,
<0,1 dumps
100 -1,4 ? +0,2

System boundary “Austria, 2000”

Terms of MFA (6)
The system boundaries are defined in time and space (temporal and spatial system
boundaries).
Commonly applied temporal boundaries for anthropogenic systems such as an
enterprise, a city, or a nation, periods of 1 year are chosen for reasons of data
availability. It also could be 1 s for consumption process, to 1000 years for landfills.
The spatial system boundary is usually fixed by the geographical area in which the
processes are located.
Flows into a system are called imports,
flows leaving a system are exports.
Spatial system boundary
Waste for recycling

Delivered waste
Iron scrap
Magnetic
Waste Recycling
Delivery separator,
collector
sifter
Rejected waste

Light fraction
Sccepted Shredded
waste waste Incineration

Waste to shredder Residues

Sorting Shredding Landfill

Waste for landfill

Exhaust

System boundary ”waste disposal firm"

Temporal system boundary
Waste for recycling

3,2
Delivered waste
Iron scrap
10 Delivery Magnetic 2,1
Waste
0,2 separator, Recycling
collector
0,5 1,3 sifter
Rejected waste
Accepted Shredded Light fraction
waste waste 3,6
0,9 Incineration
9,3

Waste to Residues
Flows: 1000 t/yr shredder
Sorting 3,6 Shredding 0,6 Landfill
Stocks: 1000 t
Waste for landfill
2,5
Exhaust
<0,01
System boundary ”waste disposal firm"
MFA – software
STAN
STAN (short for subSTance flow
ANalysis) is a freeware that helps to
perform material flow analysis according
to the Austrian standard ÖNorm S 2096
(Material flow analysis - Application in
waste management).

More information: manual, examples,

key points of MFA methodology, video
tutorials and the software STAN could
be found at the website:

http://www.stan2web.net/
 MFA – software STAN
• STAN enables the building of graphical models by using predefined components
(processes, flows, system boundary, text fields). After the input or import of known
data (mass flows, stocks, concentrations, transfer coefficients) for different layers
(good, substance, energy) and periods, unknown quantities can be computed. All
flows can be displayed in Sankey-style, i.e. the width of a flow is proportional to its
value. The graphical picture of the model can be printed or exported. For data import
and export, Microsoft Excel is used as an interface.
• Specialists have the possibility to consider data uncertainties. The calculation
algorithm uses mathematical statistical tools such as data reconciliation and error
propagation.
• STAN is available in German and English.
• Note, that STAN works on Windows operating systems only.
 Imports 340 D Stocks ~ 1 000 + 60 Exports 280

Example of a 1.6 Atmos-

phere
0.6 0.5 0.5
regional MFA (1) Forest Top Settlem.
soil soil area
150+0.6 240+0.9 30+0.2
0.05 0.2 0.6
water
Water
Rivers 2
0.6
Landfills
0.14
~600+60
ARA
Filter dust &
0.3 60 construction steel
Consumer goods 0.9
House- Sewer
7 hold 0.15 Industry >270
system 0.45
Car wrecks

>330
Solid waste
5.6
Regional system boundary “Lower Bünztal“ Lead [t/yr]
Example of a regional MFA (2)
System boundary “copper cycle Austria"

Imported waste,
ashes, residues
1 Exported raw products
10
Production waste RP1
Flows [kg Cu/cap.yr] 0,13 Exported products
Stocks [kg Cu/cap] Recycling material 13

Imported raw products 7,8

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Production waste GP
Imported raw materials Raw products 3,0 Exported waste
Production of Production Waste
4,9 2,3 Consumption waste 0,6
raw products of goods management
5,1

ore Products waste

production waste
0 5,5 RP2 0 1

Lithosphere Waste dump*

Consumption
+ mining + landfills
L E 160-270 +6 60 +1
imported products
5,3 Exported ore
0

* Stocks of waste dumps: not estimated

Döberl et al. 2005

Example of a regional MFA (3)
S Input = 232 Stock =1000 + 64 S Output = 168

3+x PBL x
Meat, milk, eggs
30
85 Animal feed
Cereals, vege-
Animal feed Plants tables, fruits
Animal- 3 Plant-
45
product. Manure take up
109
product. 24
1. Accumulation of P
100 Agricult
Fertilizer soil
10,000+68
2. Main sink: soil
78
17 13 Sewage sludge 3. River: doubling of P load
Surface water Surface water
28 River 74 4. Efficiencies of AP & AS

P 19 ? 5. WWTP: raise efficiency

Flows [t/yr] WWTP Landfill 6. Composting of MSW
Stocks [t]
38 ?
7. Sewage sludge to soil
Food Private Food
19 17 Sewer 21 Industry >40
household
MSW
Industrial products <2
>61

System Boundary „Bunz Valley, 1987“

MFA application

• Company, regional, national and global level

• Statistics – for identification of the economic activities
• Statistics – for the evaluation of the recourse use, intensity, scarcity and etc.
• Circularity indicators – global and national Circularity Gap Reports;
• The level of circularity can be measured considering different groups of raw
materials
• The resulting Sankey diagrams will feed into the EC's Raw Material Information
System's (RMIS) MFA module (currently in development) to better visualize
related material flows for the EU and at individual country level.

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Development of a Sankey Diagram of Material
Flows in the EU Economy based on Eurostat Data
One of the prerequisites for better Four major material
monitoring materials use across the whole categories:
life-cycle is a good understanding of
material stocks and flows. 1. Metals;
2. Construction minerals;
The goal of this report is to show how
readily available statistical information can 3. Industrial minerals;
be used to generate a Sankey diagram of
4. Biomass (timber and
material flows and their circularity in the 28
products from biomass))
member states of the European Union
(EU-28) for the period 2004 to 2014
(with future updates possible as new
statistical data sets become available)

https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/publication/development-sankey-diagram-material-flows-eu-economy-based-eurostat-data

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Sankey diagram
Using existing data and information, it is possible to generate Sankey diagrams providing a “bird-eyes” view on the flows and
net additions to stocks of major non-energy and non-food material categories in the EU (as well as at member state level) for
different years and show their level of circularity.
Different MFA indicatorss used in the statistics (1)
• Economy-wide material flow accounts (EW-MFA) provide an
aggregate overview, in thousand tonnes per year, of the material flows
into and out of an economy. EW-MFA covers solid, gaseous, and liquid
materials, except for bulk flows of water and air.

• EW-MFA data are downloadable from Eurostat's online database

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 Different MFA indicatorss used in the statistics (2)
• Raw Materials Equivalent (RME) Economy-wide material flow accounts (EW-MFA) do
not provide an entirely accurate picture of global material footprints because they record
the international flows of materials differently than the materials extracted from the
environment (called domestic extraction in EW-MFA). Imports and exports are recorded
in material flow accounts as the actual weight of the traded goods when they cross
country borders instead of the weight of materials extracted to produce them. As the
former are lower than the latter economy-wide, material flow accounts and the derived
DMC underestimate the material footprint. To adjust for this, the weight of processed
goods traded internationally is converted into the corresponding raw material
extractions they induce.
MFA-RME data are downloadable from Eurostat's online database

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Different MFA indicators used in the statistics (3)
• Material System Analysis (MSA) Consists of a map of the flows of materials through the
economy, as raw materials or as parts of basic materials, components or products, in
terms of entry into the economy (extraction and import), movement through the
economy (production, consumption, exports), additions to stock, and end-of-life through
either disposal or recovery.
An MSA also includes information about the sustainability of the use of materials and the
security of supply.
The Material System Analysis will include the materials consumed in the EU-28 and their
associated flows over the entire life cycle, including exploration, extraction, processing,
manufacturing, use, and end of life disposal and treatment.

A detailed description of the methodology can be found in MSA Methodology.

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MCV Scorecard
The impact of different sectors on materials flows (Mass), climate change (Carbon) and value
creation (Value) can be estimated to inform a decision on the sectors having a high priority for
circularity. This information is plotted on a "MCV Scorecard". Based on that different sectors can be
prioritesed based on the volume of the associated material flows, but also their environmental impact
and economic importance. (Circle Economy)

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Product and
materials flow

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 http://www.materialflows.net/

• materialflows.net is an online portal for national material flow data and

state of the art visualizations and analyses hosted by Vienna University
of Economics and Business (WU Vienna).

• The website is based on the UN IRP Global Material Flows Database.

Data and visualizations cover more than 200 countries, the time period of
1970 to 2017, and more than 300 different materials aggregated into 13
categories of material flows.

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UNEP Report. Global Material Flows and Resource
Productivity (with database link)

Growing concern about

assuring affordable, equitable
and environmentally
sustainable access to natural
resources is well founded. In
this report we show global
natural resource use trends
and propose indicators for
evidence-based policy
formulation.

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https://www.resourcepanel.org/file/423/download?token=Av9xJsGS https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/default/files/medien/377/publi
kationen/161025_ressourcenbericht_en.pdf

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