The application of MFA/SFA for decision making in 

resource and waste management

Paul H. BrunnerVienna University of Technology

3RINCs & SWAPI 2014

First MFA by Santorio 16th century: “human metabolism”

input = output?2/20

The balance does not close ‐ what happens at night?

3/20

Typical lessons learned  from Santorio and early MFA:

1. How to measure?  ‐> MFA and balance principle

2. Balance does not close!‐> uncertainty treatment‐> systems understanding

3. What do the results serve for?‐> “cure the patient” ‐> MFA requires a goal! 

4/20

Following  generations of MFA (1950‐1990)

• Regional and national MFA ‐> Metabolism of cities (Duvigneaud  et al, 1977)‐> National TMR‐MFA (Wuppertal Institute a.o.)

Mainly descriptive, not on an operational level yet

5/20

From MFA to SFA (1980‐2000)

• Substance level ‐> crucial for resources and environment

• Regional SFA ‐> Ayres, Stigliani, Baccini, and others

• MFA/SFA on all scales:‐> molecular to global ‐> static to dynamic (cf. ES&T Müller et al, 2014) 

• Software STAN, SIMBOX, and others

6/20

MFA/SFA today

• Exploration phase completed! • MFA/SFA a tool for:

‐> problem solving‐> decision making

• MFA/SFA applied for:‐> Resource management ‐> Waste management ‐> Environmental management

• MFA/SFA requires assessment methods like LCA!

7/20

Example 1: Decision making for plastic recycling

PBDE/BFRs in video tapes (5/5)(Hirai et al, BFR 2007.) PBDE in children toys

(Chen et al, ES&T, 2009)

PBDEs in coffee cup (J. Samso‐nek & F. Puype, FAC, 2013) 8/20

Identifying the problem by MFA/SFA of cPentaBDE

9/20

PBDE in plastics ‐ clean cycles and safe final sinks?

recycling

Eol vehicles

stock 76 t (‐3.2) stock ?? (+ 2.6)X

XX

2.6 t/yconstruction wastes

key systemfor control

0.6 t/y

consumption waste management X

Vyzinkarova et al, 2013Vienna  city limits, 2012 10/20

Ex. 2: From single processes to complex systems

Decision making in waste management ‐ How to find the “best” waste management system?

• Define goals• Select indicators and criteria (resources & emissions)• Comprehensive MFA/SFA model (flows and stocks ‐> 

resources & emissions)• Evaluation of results (LCA, SCE, and others)• Scenario analysis‐> Optimized wm system

‐> transparent and reproducible process‐> acceptance of stakeholders

11/20

MFA / SFA for decision making in waste management I

160

170

930

2,000

3512,000

0

4,4000

12,000690

840

28

1,200

49,000

16,000

45

9,900350

570

9301,100

0

1,80029

0

43014012

16

670

9,4001,500

3,4000

2,4006,000

100

0 +12,000

Import: 57,000 kt/yr Stock 12,000 kt/yr Export 45,000 kt/yr

Landfill(LF)

Biologicaltreatment

(BT)

Thermaltreatment

(TT)

Emissions OT

Products OT

Export OT

Recycling

Emissions transportRe-useWaste export

Emissions TTProducts TT

Export TT

Emissions BT

Products BT

Export BT

Emissions LF

Waste OT-TT

Waste BT-TTWaste OT-BT

Waste TT-LF

Waste OT

Waste CPT

Maintenance resource OT

Maintenance resource CPT

Waste LF

Maint. res. LF

Waste BTMaint. res. BT

Waste TTMaint. res. TT

Waste OT-LF

Waste CTP-TT

Waste

Waste BT-LF

Products LFExport LF

Emissions CPT

Products CPTExport CPT

Othertreatment

(OT

Contributionwaste and

maintenanceresources

Chemico-physical

treatment(CPT)

System boundary “Waste Management Austria, 2010”

GoodsFlows in 1,000 t/yrStock in 1,000 t

Resources formaintenance

Imported waste 110

7,600

Biologicaltreatment

(BT)

12/20

Subsystem Biological treatment, 2010

250

260

420

970

930

1,100

1,400

2,300

550

0

3,400

760

1400

1,500

0

790

550

68

840

380

730

0

11

280

0

0

180

87

Import: 3,500 kt/yr Stock 0 kt/yr Export 3,500 kt/yr

Waste BT-LF

Waste BT-TT

Emissions BT

Products BT

Transport BT

Products CP

Residues CPWaste CP

Maintenanceresource CP

Waste MBT

Sorting waste

Maintenanceresource BP

Emissions CP

Products BP

Digestate BP

Emissions CP

Products MBTm

Waste MBTm

Emissio. MBTm

Products MBTbWaste

MBTm-MBTb

Digestate 2

Waste MBTb

Emissions MBTb

Waste OT-BT

Maintenanceresource to BT

Waste to BT

Transportfrom

biologicaltreatment

MBT-biologicaltreatment

(MBTb)

MBT-mechanicaltreatment(MBTm)

Biogasplant(BP)

Compostingplant(CP)

Outputfrom

biologicaltreatment

Waste tosorting

Waste to MBT

Wasteinput to

biologicaltreatment

Sorting

Inputmechanical-

biologicalwaste(MBT)

GoodsFlows in 1,000 t/yrStock in 1,000 t

Waste direct tp BP570

Waste BP

28

MFA / SFA for decision making in waste management II

13/20

MFA / SFA tomorrow

• MFA/SFA for optimizing the “Metabolism of the Anthroposphere”‐> the activity concept using MFA/SFA‐> more service and  less material turnover

• Linking MFA and economics‐> using MFA/SFA to optimize industrial processes

14/20

The activity concept using MFA

activity input

[t/c.y]

to nourish

to clean

to reside

to transport

Total turnover

5,7

60

10

10

86

output

sewage off gas solid residues[t/c.y]

0,9 4,7 0,1

60 0 0,02

0 7,6 1

0 6 1,6

61 19 2,7

stock

[t/c]

< 0,1

0,1

100 + 1

160 + 2

260 + 3

15/20

Material turnover in European private householdsto satisfy basic human needs

Activity concept

• How to satisfy basic human needs in view of  changing technology and economy?

• Example “ to transport”

16/20

Activity concept

17/20*Signorelli, Schindall, Kassakian

0,01

0,1

1

100

10

1.000

100.00010 100 1.000 10.000

energy

density

[Wh/kg]

power density [W/kg]

nanotube*condensators

100 kW/kg60 Wh/kg

accumulators

conventionalcondensators

Ultra‐condensators

LithiumPo

Pb

How to satisfy the need for transportation in view of limited resources of Lithium?

MFA / SFA tomorrow

Optimizing the “Metabolism of the Anthroposphere”‐> the activity concept using MFA/SFA‐> more service and  less material turnover

Linking MFA and economics‐> using MFA/SFA to optimize industrial processes

18/20

Linking material flows and cost‐flows

450

10

4820628

7406

14

5624

80

13

3.23

1.2131154

25

2

25

160

210438 476

-14

-12

Productionfinal good

Thermal post-combustion

Wastemanagement

Productionintermediateproduct 12

Productionsemifinishedproduct 11

Subsystemproduction

Intermediate product 1

Subsystemproductionintermediate

product 2

Semifinishedproduct 21

Disposal costs

Import 450 €/p Export 476 €/pChange in stock -26 €/p

Panel

Flows [€/unit of good] System boundary “production of panels, 2011”

Educt 1Educt 2

Educt 3Educt 4

Educt 5Educt 6Educt 7Educt 8Educt 9

Educt 10

Educt 11Educt 12

Solvent 1Solvent 2

Solvent 3

Educt 13Auxilary material 1

Solvent 2

Solvent 3Solvent 2

Semifinishedproduct 22

Semifinishedproduct 11

Semifinishedproduct 5

Sem

ifini

shed

pro

duct

12

Aux

illar

ym

ater

ial 2

Aux

illar

y m

ater

ial 3

Aux

illar

y m

ater

ial 4

Aux

illar

y m

ater

ial 5

Productionintermediate

product 5

Disposal cost forevaporated solvents

Disposal costsAux. material

15 20 10

10 8 15 7

8 8 21 16 10 12 16

12 9 8

12

Productionintermediateproduct 13

7Disposal cost for

evaporated solvents

19/20

Conclusions

• Input equals output – transparent and rigid methodology• Substance level decisive• All scales from household to planet• Future indispensable tool for :

‐> early recognition‐> assessing and solving metabolic problems ‐> designing new strategies and concepts‐> new knowledge base about metabolism‐> governance!

20/20

Recycling is not

is the final sink

seweringsystem

sewagetreatment

plant

sludgetreatment

cultivatedsoil

„system boundary phh ‐> sludge treatment"

NPnEO Input: 0.3 Mol/c.y

NP Ouput: 0.12 Mol/c.y

Nonylphenol [ g/c.y ](figures in italic stand for NPnEO)

0

240

4

180

0,7

10

n.d.

5

0

27

24

+3 (30 mg/m²y)

NPNPnEO

0

240

OH(O       ) n

C 9H19

Nonylphenolpolyethoxylat NPnEO

Activity “to clean” – which substances are appropriate?

Surfacewaters

22/20

From MFA to SFA: carbon flows from thermal waste treatment

43

1,600

0

18

43

1,700

~0

CarbonFlows in 1,000 t/yrStock in 1,000 t

0

8.10

620

0

1,100

610

0

54

1,000

Import: 1,700 kt/yr Stock 0 kt/yr Export 1,700 kt/yr

Waste TT-LF

Emissions TT

Products TT

Export TT

Transport TT

Products TT MSW

Waste TT MSWWaste TT MSW

Maintenanceresource TT MSW

Maintenanceresource TT

Waste TT

Maintenanceresource TT

Emissions TT MSW

Products TT

Waste TT

Emissions TT

Transportto

landfill

Thermaltreatment

other waste

Thermaltreatment

MSWWaste to TT Wasteinput tothermal

treatment

Wasteoutput from

thermaltreatment

System boundary “Thermal treatment Austria, 2010”

MFA / SFA for decision making in waste management III

23/20

The application of MFA for decision making in resource and waste managementAnalysis, evaluation, design (examples for all three)

Goal oriented, the phase of methodological development is over: there must be a problem stated in order to solve it with MFAWhich problems can be solved: all problems, but for which MFA is effective???

1. The law on conservation of matter: input equals output2. What is MFA:  goods and substances3. All scales from person to planet4. For waste management5. For regional materials management6. Environmental management7. Resource management8. For governance (V.EFB)_______________________________‐Mention the surprise about nutrients (MFA of private hh)Mention the surprise  of stocks (Lohm) when there were deltas in MFA between I/O