How product characteristics can guide measures for resource efficiency - A synthesis of assessment studies
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2020

A circular economy aims at decoupling value creation from resource throughput. For circular economy to contribute to environmental and resource improvements, there is need for critical assessments regarding in what general situations, beyond individual cases, solutions may lead to improvements. On the product-level, there is need for synthesized knowledge accounting for a wide range of contexts and environmental impacts. We investigate what resource efficiency (RE) measures result in reduced physical flows and environmental impacts, depending on the characteristics of products and their life cycles. The study is limited to physical measures on a product system level, irrespective of manner of implementation. A library of comparative assessments (primarily life cycle assessments and material flow analyses) was built, covering a wide range of products and RE measures. A framework was formulated for analysing for which product characteristics a measure tends to improve RE, and under which contexts there are trade-offs to take into account. For example, sharing of products is best suited for durable and infrequently used products that tend not to reach their full technical lifetime. A trade-off is that sharing can increase transportation for accessing shared stock. The identified key product characteristics were: whether products are consumable or durable, active or passive, typically used for their full technical lifetimes or discarded before being worn out, the product’s frequency of use and whether function remains at a product’s end of use. Pace of development matters for suitability of measures for active, durable products, while complexity is relevant for restorative measures and recycling.

circular economy

reuse

repair

use extension

recycling

Life Cycle Assessment

Författare

Daniel Böckin

Chalmers, Teknikens ekonomi och organisation, Environmental Systems Analysis

Siri Willskytt

Chalmers, Teknikens ekonomi och organisation, Environmental Systems Analysis

Hampus André

Chalmers, Teknikens ekonomi och organisation, Environmental Systems Analysis

Anne-Marie Tillman

Chalmers, Teknikens ekonomi och organisation, Environmental Systems Analysis

Maria Ljunggren Söderman

Chalmers, Teknikens ekonomi och organisation, Environmental Systems Analysis

Resources, Conservation and Recycling

09213449 (ISSN) 18790658 (eISSN)

Vol. 154C 104582

Mistra REES – Resource-Efficient and Effective Solutions

Stiftelsen för miljöstrategisk forskning (Mistra), 2016-01-01 -- 2019-12-31.

Drivkrafter

Hållbar utveckling

Styrkeområden

Produktion

Ämneskategorier

Tvärvetenskapliga studier

Annan naturresursteknik

Miljövetenskap

DOI

10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.104582

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2020-03-10