Danish Plastic Mass Flows Analysis

Abstract

In this paper, material flows and resource potentials for plastics at a national level in Denmark are mapped using an Environmentally Extended Multiregional Input-Output (EE-MRIO) database. EE-MRIO offers an operative improvement to current and prevalent methods for assessing the industrial and societal metabolism of resources, including plastics. The Exiobase is applied to map (1) the major sources, (2) calculate the total supply, (3) uses of plastics and waste generation, and (4) end of life pathways in order to indicate the potentials of plastics in the circular economy in Denmark with a focus on recycling. Furthermore, it elaborates how and why this method for performing Mass Flow Analysis (MFA) differs from mainstream assessments of material flows and from default uses of national statistical data. Overall, the results are that Denmark has a total supply of ≈551 kilotonnes (Kt) of plastics, out of which ≈522 Kt are used domestically and ≈168 Kt of plastic waste are generated annually. Out of the yearly amount of plastic waste, ≈50% is incinerated and 26% is recycled. These results indicate significant potentials for applying circular economy strategies and identify relevant sectors for closing the plastic loops. However, other initiatives are necessary, such as improvements in product design strategies, in the collection and sorting systems as well as in cross-sectoral collaboration.

Why is Recycling of Postconsumer Plastics so Challenging?

“…The quantity and characteristics of plastic waste are highly variable based on location and the socioeconomic status of the community in which it is generated, which provides a challenge for its efficient reuse and recycling. In the U.S., municipal solid waste contains approximately 30 million tons of plastic, of which approximately 9% is recycled . In the EU, approximately 26 million tons of plastic waste is generated with nearly 30% of the plastic recycled and 40% incinerated. , These differences between the U.S. and EU can be partially associated with higher landfill tipping fees leading to increased recycling rates as an economic driver.…”

“…In the U.S., municipal solid waste contains approximately 30 million tons of plastic, of which approximately 9% is recycled . In the EU, approximately 26 million tons of plastic waste is generated with nearly 30% of the plastic recycled and 40% incinerated. , These differences between the U.S. and EU can be partially associated with higher landfill tipping fees leading to increased recycling rates as an economic driver. For example, the introduction of the volume-based fee system for waste in South Korea in 1995 led to significant cost increases for waste disposal and increased the recycling rate from 23.7% in 1995 to 59.1% in 2012 .…”

“…In the U.S., municipal solid waste contains approximately 30 million tons of plastic, of which approximately 9% is recycled. 31 In the EU, approximately 26 million tons of plastic waste is generated with nearly 30% of the plastic recycled and 40% incinerated. 31,32 These differences between the U.S. and EU can be partially associated with higher landfill tipping fees leading to increased recycling rates as an economic driver.…”

Review of the Circular Economy of Plastic Waste in Various Countries and Potential Applications in Indonesia

“…MFA is a tool that is widely used in the environmental field for decision making. MFA results can contribute to saving natural resources and minimizing environmental impacts, as well as pursuing sustainable development goals [6] [7]. Then from the geographical side, it is divided into 5 continents and 10 countries are in Asia.…”

“…This shows that countries in Asia are currently running quite IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1098/1/012014 3 fast towards a circular economy. The countries involved in the review and being discussed in the selected paper are Sub-Saharan Africa [8], European Union [4], South Africa [7], Denmark [6], Qatar [9], Singapore [10], Taiwan [11][12], Brazil [13], India [1], Italy [3], Kenya [14], Malaysia [15], Sweden [16], USA [17], Netherlands [18], South Korea [2][19], China [20] and Australia [21].…”