A hierarchical end-of-life decision model for determining the economic levels of remanufacturing and disassembly under environmental regulations

Remanufacturing, in contrast to material recycling and disposal, can reduce environmental impacts by retaining the geometrical form of the product, thereby regarded as a more eco-efficient approach. In this paper, an end-of-life (EOL) decision model for remanufacturing options is presented to facilitate remanufacturing. The proposed model, in order to maximize the economic value of remanufacturing options while meeting environmental regulations, takes an integrative approach to EOL-option decision-making. Also presented in this paper is a hierarchical approach that represents both the overall hierarchical structure of a product and the interconnections among components. Illustrative examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the model.     

A case study on raw material blending for the recycling of ferrous wastes in a blast furnace

The utilisation of ferrous wastes in a blast furnace is a well established recycling process to cope with the enormous amounts of ferrous residues in the iron and steel industry. The further input flows of this process, that is especially coke and fluxes, as well as its output flows, that is pig iron and by-products, are highly dependent on the blending of the ferrous wastes while they differ highly in the revenues gained for the treatment and their chemical composition. So far, no planning approach exists for the blending of the residues on the operational planning level that models the dependency of the costs and revenues on the raw material blend and the thermodynamic reactions in the recycling processes adequately. Therefore we present an approach for this operational production planning problem focusing on an integration of such a sufficiently detailed modelling of the underlying metallurgical processes into the planning model. The basis of our approach is a thermodynamic simulation of the processes. From this simulation we derive linear input-output functions for the relevant material and energy flows by using multiple linear regression. These input–output functions form the core of our blending model developed for the planning task. The model is implemented as an integrated decision support system. Exemplary application results are given. These results validate the approach and show that ecological the economic optimisation leads also to results which are advantageous in terms of resource efficiency and emission reduction. Though developed for a specific recycling process, the methodology can be transferred to other metallurgical (recycling) processes, as well as other parts of the process industries, and is therefore of high relevance.     

Life cycle oriented design of technical Product-Service Systems

Technical services such as maintenance, retrofitting, refurbishing or user training can significantly influence the economic and ecologic performance of high quality investment goods, thus providing new and advanced user benefits. In order to systematically exploit these potentials the interrelations between physical products and non-physical services need to be considered proactively, resulting in the necessity for integrating corresponding product and service design processes. For this reason, a process for the systematic design of product related technical services is introduced that upon its modularization represents a promising starting point for linkage with corresponding product design processes. Life cycle oriented design of technical Product-Service Systems is thus supported. The presented concept is finally illustrated by means of an example from the investment goods industry.     

An assessment of the recycling potential of materials basedon environmental and economic factors; case study in South Korea

As the generation of waste home appliances increases continuously with economic growth, the importance of recycling becomes more apparent. Many home appliances we use today are recyclable, and recyclable materials from the waste home appliances can be used to create new or refurbishing products. To do that, first of all, we have to know and consider the recyclable materials' recycling potential with environmental and economic information. In this study, an evaluation method to assess recycling potential considering both the environmental and economic factors was suggested for the materials recovered from waste home appliances. Life cycle assessment (LCA) method was applied to obtain the environmental score (S_Env) and an actual value and a static economic model was used to obtain the economic score (S_Eco). The recycling potential for recyclable materials was calculated by using the S_Env and S_Eco along with weighting factors derived from an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method. With the calculated data and evaluation method for the recycling materials, this study could provide useful information for decision makers and product designers in the design for environment (DfE).     

A critical assessment of motives for product recovery: the case of engine remanufacturing

Over the past decade, there has been an increasing interest in product take-back, product recovery and the (re-)distribution of these products. The automotive sector, in particular, has a strong history of product recovery operations, such as remanufacturing. Alongside this development, an academic interest in the management of re-use, recycling or remanufacturing has evolved and developed into the field of closed-loop supply chain management. Closed-loop supply chain management, however, is only characterised by a short research history, the earliest contributions can be found on reverse logistics and were published in the early 1990s. Due to the novelty of the field there are still a large number of unsolved research problems. One of these is the question for the rationale behind product recovery operations. This research is based on in-depth case studies within the remanufacturing facilities of a major European Vehicle Manufacturer. The article examines whether the ‘classic’ motives for product recovery are applicable to automotive remanufacturing. It concludes with a summary of the contributions this research makes to theory, to industry and to future research in the field.     

Emergy as a tool for Ecodesign: evaluating materials selection for beverage packages in Brazil

The life of a product begins with the initial product design concepts; the costs and potential impacts of a product are heavily influenced by the final design, the production processes, the economic and environmental costs of all raw materials. Additionally, both of these factors are very much affected by how the products are managed during and after consumer usage. Thus, there is an urgent need for a tool to facilitate the integration and assessment of environmental and economic demands into the product planning and development processes. The introduction of environmental accounting based on emergy as a tool to assist in product design is proposed. This complementary tool may be inserted into the conventional design methodology to facilitate in the selection of materials and processes as well as in the actual design of the products. To illustrate the application of the proposed method for material selection, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles and aluminum cans for beverage packaging are compared. Despite the exceptional condition of aluminum recycling in Brazil, results show that the best option for beverage packages is the PET bottles.     

Economic and other implications of integrated chain management: a case study

In this article, the concept of Integrated (Substance) Chain Management (ISCM) is discussed. The definition of ISCM, motives for ISCM, conditions for implementation, different points of view and a five-step model are dealt with. In addition, a number of possible barriers on the road to ISCM are discussed. The model is applied to a stonewool-producing company in the Netherlands. This company set up a recycling project in the form of a briquetting factory. The substance-flow sheets show that after implementing the briquetting factory, almost all process wastes are used in the factory and that fewer virgin materials have to be used. From an economic point of view, production in a more sustainable fashion is very unattractive: production costs per ton of stonewool product rose as a consequence of the use of the briquettes as an input. The barriers connected to ISCM are mainly economic and regulatory. Solutions for the Rockwool company may include engaging in environmental product stewardship and a realignment of the government policy towards dumping re-usable and non-separated building and construction waste.     

废旧家电产品回收性能评价指标体系的建立

针对家电产品回收工艺流程决策评价的多阶段、多目标的特点,以及不同类型家电产品和不同回收工艺过程的动态特性,采用层次分类方法建立了以经济指标和环境指标为主要内容的回收工艺流程评价指标体系,对指标体系的组成进行了较为详细的分析,讨论了应该考虑的因素及有关计算方法。以电冰箱为例,用改进的模糊层次分析法与遗传算法相结合,介绍了回收工艺流程的优化决策方法。建立的指标体系不仅可以根据评价对象进行动态修改,而且具有较强的可操作性。     

Stipulation of the criteria for the construction of eco agricultural county in China

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The recycling cycle of materials as a design project tool

Currently, a large number of companies consider recycling of materials as an opportunity to maximize profits and to reduce the environmental impact generated by these materials after they are disposed. However, there is also a strong constraint on the use of recycled materials mainly due to the lack of technical/scientific information, which would relate their physical properties to their recycling cycle. This information should be used in the initial phase of the product design to serve as reference for the simulation of a project to point out the physical properties obtained from recycling the Projected material (Pm). Thus, it would be possible to foresee some recycling strategy to keep the good characteristics of recycled materials by encouraging their use, regardless of the product to be designed.Therefore, the Recycling Cycle of Materials (RCM) is a tool that provides scientific/technical support in the selection of materials. It uses the information related to the physical properties of the Pm as a parameter for product design after five recycling cycles. For the case study, this tool has been applied to obtain the basic material of ABS/PC blend. Subsequently, this blend was evaluated using DSC, FTIR, traction and impact methods to obtain delimiting data for the definition of the mechanical properties resulting from the application of RCM.     

Material hygiene: improving recycling of WEEE demonstrated on dishwashers

There must be a change in attitude towards end-of-life products. The view that these products pose a liability must be changed. Secondary material is valuable as raw material. Thus, activities encouraging changes in opinion are important.Two major EU directives guide the recycling process; the Directive of End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) and the Directive of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). Both focus on the input of the recycling system, not on what is coming out of the system.The WEEE Directive is the legislation on the European level that governs the handling and processing of these types of products. The WEEE Directive is not only aimed at stricter handling and reduction of hazardous materials but also encourages EU member states to support technical development in order to facilitate increased recycling.In order to properly address these issues a mind-set, material hygiene, has been introduced. The basic idea is to act, in every life cycle phase of the product, towards highest possible efficiency in recycling. The outcome of useful material is in focus.A study on dishwashers is made with copper outcome as target. The results are based on Swedish conditions but general conclusions can be made. Limited design efforts can raise the outcome of valuable materials, if the recycling process is organized in an optimal manner.A theoretical concept of disassembly structures is used to draw general conclusions on the case study.Increasing product recycling suitability is one side of the problem; another is increasing effectiveness of handling and processing of end-of-life products.The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of “material hygiene” and based on that demonstrate a method for grading structural properties in a recycling perspective. The findings presented in this paper are based on a field study in which a number of dishwashers were disassembled and analyzed.     

B2B再循环物流网络优化模型研究

行业特性和技术约束致使一些制造企业产生大量的副产品和边角废料,对环境造成巨大压力.而可持续发展要求则促使制造企业寻求一种与自然生态环境和谐共处、资源良性循环的物流模式,构建再循环物流系统.因此,为了有效解决经济发展与环境的矛盾,促进产业间或产业内工业企业进行循环经济实践,设计具有生态柔性的B2B网络下再循环物流系统的结构模型.运用环境影响分析模型,分析再循环物流系统各个业务单元的环境影响因子.基于结构模型,运用混合整数规划方法,构建再循环物流系统多目标优化模型.该模型同时考虑了再循环系统的物流成本和外部环境影响;适合于多物料、单周期、有产能限制的再循环网络设施选址-分配问题.通过算例验证了模型的有效性.      

区域农业循环经济发展评价及其实证研究

运用BPEIR概念模型及特尔菲法选择区域农业循环经济发展评价指标体系,并通过层次分析法,对1985至2003年江苏省农业循环经济发展水平进行综合评价。1985年以来,江苏省农业循环经济发展依次历经缓慢提升、快速发展以及目前的稳定发展阶段,农业循环经济化趋势增强,综合评价指数分布在区间(1,1.5)内;并对2003年影响江苏省农业循环经济发展的障碍因素进行诊断,发现资源减量投入成为主要限制因素。资源减量投入、资源循环利用、经济与社会发展、资源环境安全对江苏省农业循环经济发展的限制作用依次为57%、19%、13%和11%。为提高现阶段江苏省农业循环经济发展水平,提出相关建议,比如减少物质投入,推广适合本区域的生态农业、有机农业生产模式,稳步推进农业产业化与工业化,构建经济激励机制等。     

我国发展循环经济的最新进展

从循环经济的发展逐步纳入规划、立法取得的进展、政策体系的逐步完善以及理论研究和技术支撑作用的逐步增强四个方面,论述了我国发展循环经济的最新进展,并指出在我国已初步形成了再生资源循环利用产业体系、产业园区循环经济发展模式、全社会资源循环利用体系以及发展循环经济的一批典型企业。     

Approach of technical decision-making by element flow analysis and Monte-Carlo simulation of municipal solid waste stream

This paper deals with the procedure and methodology which can be used to select the optimal treatment and disposal technology of municipal solid waste （MSW）, and to provide practical and effective technical support to policy-making, on the basis of study on solid waste management status and development trend in China and abroad. Focusing on various treatment and disposal technologies and processes of MSW, this study established a Monte-Carlo mathematical model of cost minimization for MSW handling subjected to environmental constraints. A new method of element stream （such as C, H, O, N, S） analysis in combination with economic stream analysis of MSW was developed. By following the streams of different treatment processes consisting of various techniques from generation, separation, transfer, transport, treatment, recycling and disposal of the wastes, the element constitution as well as its economic distribution in terms of possibility functions was identified. Every technique step was evaluated economically. The Mont-Carlo method was then conducted for model calibration. Sensitivity analysis was also carried out to identify the most sensitive factors. Model calibration indicated that landfill with power generation of landfill gas was economically the optimal technology at the present stage under the condition of more than 58% of C, H, O, N, S going to landfill. Whether or not to generate electricity was the most sensitive factor. If landfilling cost increases, MSW separation treatment was recommended by screening first followed with incinerating partially and composting partially with residue landfilling. The possibility of incineration model selection as the optimal technology was affected by the city scale. For big cities and metropolitans with large MSW generation, possibility for constructing large-scale incineration facilities increases, whereas, for middle and small cities, the effectiveness of incinerating waste decreases.     

Flowsheeting-based simulation of recycling concepts in the metal industry

This paper presents a methodology for the planning of integrated recycling concepts taking into account the peculiarities of process engineering in the process industries. Process models for certain unit operations simulated with a flowsheeting program allow to calculate mass and energy balances considering the technical characteristics and performance of a single process or a combined process chain. Based on principles of thermodynamics, this approach allows an assessment of integrated recycling strategies considering techno-economic as well as ecological criteria. The approach is illustrated with an example from the iron and steel making industry where the injection of plastic waste into a blast furnace is investigated.     

废旧三元锂离子电池回收利用碳足迹

公路运输是我国交通运输领域主要温室气体排放源,新能源汽车行业作为实现交通运输领域“双碳”目标的重要抓手,未来面临大批动力电池报废情况,为量化评估废旧锂电池回收利用行业产生的碳减排效益,从生命周期角度构建废旧三元锂电池回收利用碳足迹核算模型,通过优化电力结构和运输结构,对废旧锂电池回收利用的碳减排潜力作预测评估,此外,使用误差传播方程进行不确定性分析保证碳足迹结果的可靠有效.结果表明,当前中国企业使用湿法技术回收1 kg废旧三元锂电池的碳足迹为-2760.90 g（定向循环工艺）和-3752.78 g（循环再造工艺）,碳足迹的不确定性分别为16 %（定向循环工艺）和15 %（循环再造工艺）.从碳排放贡献率分析,再生产品阶段是废旧三元锂电池湿法回收利用减碳首要贡献来源,电池获取、拆解和末端处置阶段是增碳主要来源.相比于优化运输结构,通过优化电力结构,可有效实现更大的碳减排潜力,协同优化情景下,相比于优化前可实现14 %~19 %的碳减排,与原生产品相比定向循环工艺和循环再造工艺分别可实现9 %和11 %的减排潜力.     

我国生态产品价值核算的研究进展、问题与展望

生态产品价值核算是践行“绿水青山就是金山银山”理念的关键路径,是促进生态产品价值实现的重要基础性工作.近年来,相关学者和科研机构围绕生态产品价值核算的基础理论、技术方法与成果应用开展了大量研究,生态产品价值核算逐渐成为生态经济学研究的热点和难点.为系统梳理我国生态产品价值核算的研究进展,识别核算过程中存在的问题与不足,本文采用文献分析与系统归纳的方法,总结了生态产品价值核算的发展历程,解读了国家对相关工作的部署安排与地方实践进展,识别了生态产品价值核算在核算范围与技术方法等方面存在的问题.本研究将生态产品价值核算发展历程划分为科学探索、实践推进和深化铺开3个阶段;发现了我国在当前研究中普遍将生态产品价值等同于生态系统生产总值(GEP)和生态系统服务价值的现象;明确了生态产品价值在当前无法被精确核算且核算结果不具有实际经济意义的现状.针对生态产品价值核算科目与范围不一致、实物量评估方法不确定性大以及价值量定价机制主观性强等问题,研究指出,生态产品价值核算的发展是一个长期和近期相结合的过程,应当像GDP一样核算GEP,下一步地方推进工作建议从完善基础理论框架、建立统计核算技术、形成地方业务...     

氨碱行业工业固废循环经济活动开展情况分析与探讨

以青岛碱业股份有限公司为例,分析了氨碱行业工业固废的产生源、废物性质、危害特征与资源化特征．分析公司针对行业固废开展的循环经济活动、废物流向,对固废资源化技术的经济、技术可行性及环境风险性进行了探讨。     

Development of a life cycle assessment tool for construction and maintenance of asphalt pavements

The increasing use of recycled materials in asphalt pavements calls for environmental assessment of such impacts as the energy input and CO₂ footprint. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is being accepted by the road industry for such purpose. It aims to quantify and collate all the environmental impacts from the life time of the product or process. This paper reviews relevant LCA resources worldwide, identifies the knowledge gap for the road industry, and describes the development of an LCA model for pavement construction and maintenance that accommodates recycling and up-to-date research findings. Details are provided of both the methodology and data acquisition. This is followed by a discussion of the challenges of applying LCA to the pavement construction practice, and recommendations for further work. In the case study, the model is applied to an asphalt paving project at London Heathrow Terminal-5 (LHR), in which natural aggregates were replaced with waste glass, incinerator bottom ash (IBA) and recycled asphalt pavements (RAP). Production of hot mix asphalt and bitumen was found to represent the energy intensive processes. This is followed by data analysis and sensitivity check. Further development of the model includes expanding the database to accommodate the recycling and maintenance practice in the UK, and taking into account the effect that roadwork has on traffic emissions. The LCA model can be further tested and calibrated as a decision support tool for sustainable construction in the road industry.