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SuStainable MaterialS ManageMent

OECD Global Forum on EnvironmentMechelen, Belgium, October 2010

Joseph FikselExecutive Director, Center for Resilience

The Ohio State University, USA

Sustainability Advisor, U.S. EPA Office of Research & Development*

*The content of this presentation reflects the views of the author and does not represent the policies or position of the U.S. EPA.

What is Sustainability?Development that meets

the needs of the present

without compromising the

ability of future generations

to meet their own needs

Brundtland Commission, 1987

3

What is Sustainability?A more explicit definition…The continuation of human health and well being, environmental resource protection, and economic prosperity—now and for generations to come

Human Health & Well Being

Economic Prosperity

Environmental Resource Protection

4

Exceeding Planetary Boundaries

Source: Stockholm Resilience Centre, 2009

SafeOperating

Space

Biodiversity Loss

Sustainable Development

• Global warming, melting ice, rising oceans

• Ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss

• Resource scarcity (water, land, minerals)

• Infectious diseases (viral, bacterial)

• Urbanization, social disintegration

• Income gaps (rich vs. poor)

• Population growth

“Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”

- World Commission on Environment & Development, 1987

Challenges

The Kaya IdentityTotal carbon burden

= population ($GDP/capita)

(resources/$GDP)

(burden/resource unit)

Global challenge: Decouple resource consumption

from economic growth

Sustainable Materials Management

“SMM is an approach to promote sustainable materials use, integrating actions targeted at reducing negative environmental impacts and preserving natural capital throughout the life-cycle of materials, taking into account economic efficiency and social equity.”

Working Group on Waste Prevention and Recycling

Global Supply Chains

Source: New Economic Foundation

Line thickness denotes quantity of imports

Interdependence of the United Kingdom

Networks are both more fragile and more resilient

than isolated systems

The Material-Energy-Water Nexus

Energy

Materials Water~ 100 liters per $

~ 1 kg per liter

excludes ecosystem services

Material demand is a major driver

of both energy and water use

Source: J. Fiksel, “Evaluating Supply Chain Sustainability,” Chemical Engineering Progress, May 2010.

Systems View of Material Flows

Environment (natural capital)

waste and emissions mostly return to the

environment

ecological goodsand services are

utilized in industry

ecological goodsand services are utilized in society

some waste is recovered and recycled

Society(human capital)

Industry (economic capital)

economic valueis created for

society

labor is utilized in industry

Adapted from: J. Fiksel, A Framework for Sustainable Materials Management, Journal of Materials, August 2006.

SMM Policy Intervention Options

12

Environment

SocietyIndustry

regulate

evaluate

collaborate

innovate

educate

facilitate

Principle 1 - Preserve natural capital

Principle 2 – Adopt a life cycle perspective

motivate

Principle 3 - Use the full suite of policy instruments

Principle 4 - Engage all parts of society

ameliorate

eliminate

mitigate

Potential EPA Interventions

13

Environment

SocietyIndustry

regulate

protect, restore

regulate evaluate, purchase

collaborate,catalyze

innovate

educate

facilitate

Full ecologicalfootprint

Embedded ecosystem goods and services –e.g., water resources

Preserving Natural Capital

Supply chainFootprint

€ $Purchased

goods & services(indirect use)

Life Cycle Assessment

(LCA)

Direct resource consumption

Natural Capital Consumed (joules) per $million Output

1.E+08

1.E+09

1.E+10

1.E+11

1.E+12

1.E+13

1.E+14

1.E+15

1.E+16

1.E+17

Soil Erosio

n

Sunlig

ht

Hydropo

tentia

l

Geotherm

alWind

GrassWood

Water

Crude o

il

Natural ga

s

Raw Coa

l

Metals

& mini

ng

Non-meta

llic m

inerals

Crushed

Ston

eSan

d

Detrital

matter

Nuclear

Example: Snack Food Industry

Snack Food Manufacturing Supply Chain – U.S. Average

70 million gallons

120 barrels

“Embedded” natural capital for a typical U.S. foodsupply chain, converted into energy equivalents

Source: OSU Center for Resilience

ProductionSupplyChain

Processes

Utilization & Consumption

Processes

Recycled Parts & Materials

Energy

RecoveryProcesses

Products

Virgin Materials

Life Cycle of Materials

Materials

Residual Materials

Revalorization

ValueExtractionInputs

ValueCreation

By-Products

Outputs

Waste & Emissions

Extraction

Environment – Natural CapitalDisposal

Non-Product

Source: Alcan

Recycling uses 5% of energy & material flows vs. primary

Example: Aluminum Industry

Industrial Ecology

Industrial ecology is a process systems approach that mimics natural cycles,

converting waste into “food”

Ohio By-Product Synergy Network

Marathon Oil

Procter & Gamble

Cemex

Honda of America

Converting solid waste streams into economically valuable byproducts

City of Columbus

Fairmount Minerals

Eco-Flow™ Graphical Interface

Material flow analysis and optimization tool (partially funded by EPA STAR grant)

Ohio BPS Network Estimated BenefitsBy-Product Synergy Metrics Annual Savings

Total Cost Savings $3,495,393

Waste to Landfill avoided (tons) 29,066

Direct Greenhouse Gas Emissions (MT) 1,182

Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions (MT) 230,137

Life cycle Water Use Reduction (1000 gal) 73,430

Total Life Cycle Energy Use (1000 GJ) 34,900

Non-renewable Resources (1000 tons) 503,416

Demater-ialization

Detoxif-ication

Sustainable Business Practices

Human Capital

Natural Capital

Economic Capital

Product Recovery

Disassembly

Recyclability

Release Reduction

Hazard Reduction

Benign Waste Disposition

Energy & Material Conservation

Source Reduction

Servicization

Capital Protection and Renewal

Value Recovery

Source: J. Fiksel, Design for Environment: A Guide to Sustainable Product Development,

McGraw-Hill 2009

Mercidank u

thank you

OECD Global Forum on EnvironmentMechelen, Belgium, October 2010

Resilience.OSU.edu