Poster (EARTH)

[PE1-055] Evaluation of a Mass-Adopting Metal Recycling Society

○Ran Motoori¹, Benjamin C McLellan¹, Tetsuo Tezuka¹ (1. Kyoto University)

Keywords:Mineral recycling society, Input-Output analysis, End-of-life products collection

It is anticipated that a society in which metal resources are recycled broadly will eventuate due to decrease in ore supply caused by resource exhaustion in the future. The industrial composition of the society which adopts a proactive metal recycling stance will have a very different composition when compared to the society of today. This research aims to describe the society in which recycling becomes a major supply source of minerals. In addition, this research also aims to identify the requirements to sustain such a broad mineral recycling society considering three key aspects; resources, technology and the economy. Finally, by comparing this new society with the society today, the industrial composition of a recycling oriented society will be evaluated, and the issues arising for the described society will be analyzed. In concrete terms, the material flow of the metal resources, the energy balance, the monetary flows and labor aspects will be evaluated utilizing a redacted Input-Output table. This Input-Output table is specifically revised to incorporate the recycling related sectors' economic activity, thus enabling the analysis of an assumed future recycling oriented society. In this research, all scraps are processed domestically. Further, it is surmised that an establishment of seamless product distribution and end-of-life product collection system will be in place, or, a shift toward the service industries such as a product service system will be effective, in order to sustain a society in which the use and subsequent recycling of materials is widespread.