Life cycle assessment (LCA) databases and software evolve. We analyzed to which extent software and evolving life cycle inventory databases affect the comparison of technology alternatives, using a... Show moreLife cycle assessment (LCA) databases and software evolve. We analyzed to which extent software and evolving life cycle inventory databases affect the comparison of technology alternatives, using a comparative LCA on permanent magnets as a case study, with two selected software tools: CMLCA and Brightway LCA. We migrated the system models from the CMLCA to Brightway LCA software and alternated between the ecoinvent database versions 2.2 and 3.1 to 3.6 in the system background. When using ecoinvent v3.6 instead of v2.2, the change of the indicator results ranged from −34% to 283%. The evolution of the ecoinvent database impacted the absolute amounts of the characterized results and the relative performance between alternatives. The impact category with the highest variability was ionizing radiation, which even showed a ranking inversion with ecoinvent v3.4. In contrast, the impact of using CMLCA or Brightway was negligible because the same data and modeling assumptions caused percentage differences below 0.4%. During the semi-automated data migration to Brightway, we identified 23 environmental flows in the CMLCA model that were not paired with their corresponding characterization factors in the published study of reference. This error had led to an underestimation of 63% in the photochemical oxidation indicator of one of the alternatives. This underestimation relates to an interoperability issue regarding the nomenclature of environmental flows in software alternatives and is a matter of data implementation rather than an issue intrinsic to the selected software. Finally, we identified improvement opportunities for the transparency and reusability of LCA models. This article met the requirements for a Gold-Gold JIE data openness badge described at http://jie.click/badges. Show less
This thesis investigates how the assessment of circular economy (CE) at the macro-economic level can be facilitated and promoted. First, a study on the socio-economic environmental impacts of... Show moreThis thesis investigates how the assessment of circular economy (CE) at the macro-economic level can be facilitated and promoted. First, a study on the socio-economic environmental impacts of international agricultural supply chain is presented to better exemplify how Multi-Regional Environmental Extended Input-Output (MR EEIO) data can be used to support policy making. Then, a Python software package (pycirk) and methods for standardized and replicable CE scenarios are presented with a case study on the global environmental and socio-economic impacts CE strategies. The thesis also presents an easy to use and open-source web-based tool for CE scenario construction and analysis (RaMa-Scene). Through these studies, MR EEIO appears to be an adequate tool to assess CE scenarios. However, the implementation of CE interventions will require a variety of micro-level changes across the current international production and consumption system and in many cases more detailed data is required than what is currently available in existing MR EEIO databases. Data availability for CE assessment could be increased through the use of Computer-Aided Technologies and Artificial Intelligence methods in combination with Life Cycle Inventory modelling and MR EEIO databases, but this is only one potential way forward. In fact, the industrial ecology and circular economy communities have many opportunities ahead to improve data collection practices by leveraging digital technologies and artificial intelligence methods. However, coordination in these scientific communities is needed to ensure that the full potential of these technological developments is harvested for the benefit of a sustainable circular economy and society. Show less
Artificial intelligence (AI) applications and digital technologies (DTs) are increasingly present in the daily lives of citizens, in cities and in industries. These developments generate large... Show moreArtificial intelligence (AI) applications and digital technologies (DTs) are increasingly present in the daily lives of citizens, in cities and in industries. These developments generate large amounts of data and enhance analytical capabilities that could benefit the industrial ecology (IE) community and sustainability research in general. With this communication, we would like to address some of the opportunities, challenges, and next steps that could be undertaken by the industrial ecology community in this realm. This article is an adapted summary of the discussion held by experts in industrial ecology, AI, and sustainability during the 2021 Industrial Ecology Day conference session titled “The Future of Artificial Intelligence in the Context of Industrial Ecology.” In brief, building on previous studies and communications, we advise the industrial ecology community to: (1) create internal committees and working groups to monitor and coordinate AI applications within and outside the community; (2) promote and ensure transdisciplinary efforts; (3) determine optimal infrastructure and governance of AI for IE to minimize undesired effects; and (4) act on effective representation and on reduction of digital divides. Show less
This study shows the environmental impacts and economic performance due to agricultural trade through The Netherlands. Using the demand-driven input–output model and the database EXIOBASE (2011),... Show moreThis study shows the environmental impacts and economic performance due to agricultural trade through The Netherlands. Using the demand-driven input–output model and the database EXIOBASE (2011), we first analysed the environmental impacts and value added directly generated abroad by the agricultural sector through imported final consumption in The Netherlands; we then compared the environmental impacts and value added generated in The Netherlands by the agricultural sector due to exports to other countries. The results show that the Dutch consumption of imported agricultural products had significant greenhouse gas emissions of 19,386 kt CO2-eq, land use of 280,525 km2 and water consumption of 50,373 M.m3, while impacts in The Netherlands due to agricultural exports amounted, respectively, to 13,022 kt CO2-eq, 9282 km2 and 3339 M.m3. At the same time, we found that Dutch agricultural production had a higher value added to pressure ratio than abroad. These differences highlight the great dependency of Dutch final consumption on foreign natural resources, a significant trade imbalance for environmental impacts with relatively smaller economic benefits for countries exporting to The Netherlands. With these results, we suggest that it is of great importance that sustainability policies for the agricultural sector not only address environmental impacts domestically but also impacts and value creation abroad. Show less
Donati, F.; Niccolson, S.I.; Koning, A. de; Daniels, B.; Christis, M.; Boonen, K.; ... ; Tukker, A. 2020
Global environmental and resource problems ask for new ways of managing the production and consumption of resources. The implementation of new paradigms, such as the circular economy, requires... Show moreGlobal environmental and resource problems ask for new ways of managing the production and consumption of resources. The implementation of new paradigms, such as the circular economy, requires decision-makers at multiple levels to make complex decisions. For this, clear analyses and modeling of scenarios are of utmost importance. Meanwhile, as the sophistication of databases and models increases so does the need for user-friendly tools to use them. The RaMa-Scene web platform reduces these barriers by allowing users to visualize easily diverse impacts of implementing circular-economy interventions. This online web platform makes use of the multi-regional environmentally extended input-output database EXIOBASE version 3 in monetary units, which has been modified to show explicit transactions of raw materials from recycling activities. Show less
Cetinay Iyicil, H.; Donati, F.; Heijungs, R.; Sprecher, B. 2020
Industrial ecology tools are increasingly being used in ways that require high computational times. In the policy arena, this becomes problematic when practitioners want to live-test various... Show moreIndustrial ecology tools are increasingly being used in ways that require high computational times. In the policy arena, this becomes problematic when practitioners want to live-test various alternatives in a responsive and web-based platform. In research, computational times come into play when analyzing large systems with multiple interventions or when requiring many runs for, for example, Monte Carlo simulations. We demonstrate how the computational time of a number of commonly used industrial ecology tools can be reduced significantly, potentially by multiple orders of magnitude. Our case study was the optimization of scenario calculations in Environmentally Extended Input-Output Analysis (EEIOA). Instead of recalculating the Leontief inverse after individual changes to the interindustry relations, as is done traditionally in EEIOA scenario analysis, we give formulations to find the total value of the change in the environmental indicators in one calculation step. We illustrate these novel formulations both for a simple hypothetical system and for the full EXIOBASE EEIO model. The use of explicit formulas decreases the computational time to the degree that it becomes possible to carry out these analyses in live or web-based environments. For our case study, we find an improvement of up to four orders of magnitude. Show less
Aguilar-Hernandez, G.A.; Siguenza-Sanchez, C.P.; Donati, F.; Merciai, S.; Schmidt, J.; Dias Rodrigues, J.F.; Tukker, A. 2020
A circular economy is an industrial system that is restorative or regenerative by intention or design. During the last decade, the circular economy became an attractive paradigm to increase global... Show moreA circular economy is an industrial system that is restorative or regenerative by intention or design. During the last decade, the circular economy became an attractive paradigm to increase global welfare while minimizing the environmental impacts of economic activities. Although several studies concerning the potential benefits and drawbacks of policies that implement the new paradigm have been performed, there is currently no standardized theoretical model or software to execute such assessment. In order to fill this gap, in the present paper we show how to perform these analyses using Environmentally Extended Input-Output Analysis. We also describe a python package (pycirk) for modeling Circular Economy scenarios in the context of the Environmentally Extended Multi-Regional Input-Output database EXIOBASE V3.3, for the year 2011. We exemplify the methods and software through a what-if zero-cost case study on two circular economy strategies (Resource Efficiency and Product Lifetime Extension), four environmental pressures and two socio-economic factors. Show less
Aguilar Hernandez, G.A.; Siguenza -Sanchez, C.P.; Donati, F.; Merciai, S.; Schmidt, J.; Dias Rodrigues, J.F.; Tukker, A. 2019
Due to increased policy attention on circular economy strategies, many studies have quantified material use and recovery at national and global scales. However, there has been no quantitative... Show moreDue to increased policy attention on circular economy strategies, many studies have quantified material use and recovery at national and global scales. However, there has been no quantitative analysis of the unrecovered waste that can be potentially reintegrated into the economy as materials or products. This can be interpreted as the gap of material circularity. In this paper we define the circularity gap of a country as the generated waste, plus old materials removed from stocks and durable products disposed (i.e. stock depletion), minus recovered waste. We estimated the circularity gap of 43 nations and 5 rest of the world regions in 2011, using the global, multiregional hybrid-units input-output database EXIOBASE v3.3. Our results show the trends of circularity gap in accordance to each region. For example, the circularity gaps of Europe and North America were between 1.6–2.2 tonnes per capita (t/cap), which are more than twice the global average gap (0.8 t/cap). Although these regions presented the major amount of material recovery, their circularity gaps were mostly related to the levels of stock depletion. In Africa and Asia-Pacific regions, the circularity gap was characterized by a low degree of recovery and stock depletion, with high levels of generated waste. Moreover, we discuss which intervention types can be implemented to minimize the circularity gap of nations. Show less
