Leiden University Scholarly Publications

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Dong, D. (2021)

Towards a sustainable and circular metals economy: the case of copper in China

Doctoral Thesis
In-use stocks of products can be considered as intermediaries between human needs and the physical world. During use, they fulfil important functions, but they can also be seen as a source of materials for the future: the production of secondary materials. This idea of an urban mine is applied to copper in China in this dissertation. Taking into account that most modern technologies rely on copper, consumption of diverse copper-containing products in China is increasing rapidly. The in-use copper stocks have become a large reservoir for urban mining. It is of crucial importance to secure future supply by closing copper cycles, thereby also reducing environmental pressure. Therefore, the aim of this research is to explore how the stocks and flows related to the Chinese copper cycle can be transformed into a sustainable and circular economy. The material flow analysis and life cycle assessment approaches are used to quantify the in-use stocks, demand and waste generation for copper...Show moreIn-use stocks of products can be considered as intermediaries between human needs and the physical world. During use, they fulfil important functions, but they can also be seen as a source of materials for the future: the production of secondary materials. This idea of an urban mine is applied to copper in China in this dissertation. Taking into account that most modern technologies rely on copper, consumption of diverse copper-containing products in China is increasing rapidly. The in-use copper stocks have become a large reservoir for urban mining. It is of crucial importance to secure future supply by closing copper cycles, thereby also reducing environmental pressure. Therefore, the aim of this research is to explore how the stocks and flows related to the Chinese copper cycle can be transformed into a sustainable and circular economy. The material flow analysis and life cycle assessment approaches are used to quantify the in-use stocks, demand and waste generation for copper under the Chinese policies related to general economic development, the energy transition and ambitions with regard to circular economy, and assess associated environmental impacts as well as identify potential options to realize the dematerialization and environmental sustainability of the copper cycle in China.
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Circular economy
Energy transition
Sustainable development
Material flow analysis
Life cycle assessment
Material efficiency
Closing loops
Scrap import ban
Waste management
All authors
Dong, D.
Supervisor
Voet, E. van der
Co-supervisor
Tukker, A.
Committee
Bodegom, P. M. van; Vijver, M.G.; Rechberger, H.; Tercero Espinoza, L.; Fishman, T.
Qualification
Doctor (dr.)
Awarding Institution
Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Faculty of Science, Leiden University
Date
2021-06-16
ISBN (print)
9789051915198

Funding

Sponsorship
The China Scholarship Council (CSC) under Grant Agreement number: 201706400064 and the IDS‐FunMat-Innovation project by EIT RawMaterials under Grant Agreement number: 17184.