Sustainable Materials Management for Europe, from Efficiency to Effectiveness
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Miljø- og Planlægningsudvalget 2009-10 MPU alm. del Bilag 676 Offentligt Sustainable Materials Management for Europe, from efficiency to effectiveness. This background study on Sustainable Materials Management has been commissioned by the Flemish government, by the Department of Environ- ment, Nature and Energy (LNE) and the Public Waste Agency of Flanders (OVAM). This report serves as basis for the background paper for the informal Environmental Council on the 12th and 13th of July 2010, as part of the Belgian Presidency of the EU during the second semester of 2010. The study is executed by a partnership of three expert organisations: • Sustenuto: independent Belgian strategic consultancy & research firm on Sustainable Development, CSR, cross-sector partnerships and Cradle to Cradle. Author and lay-out: Ans Rossy. Contact: [email protected] • Catholic University of Leuven (KULeuven), Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Leuven Research & Development including its Material Research Centre (MRC). Authors: Dr. Peter Tom Jones and Dr. Daneel Geysen. Contact: [email protected] • Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy: application-oriented sustainability research, addressing the major challenges related to sustainable development, such as climate change or resource shortages. Author: Katrin Bienge. Contact: [email protected] Manuscript completed: Brussels, 31 March 2010 SMM for Europe, from efficiency to effectiveness | pag 2 Table of Content Executive summary. 4 Chapter 3 – SMM examples: cases and country policies. 25 Objective. .4 3.1 SMM cases. 27 1. What is SMM? . 4 3.1.1 Policy directions based on SMM cases . 51 2. Why is SMM relevant?. .4 3.2 Country policies on SMM. 52 3. Case examples of SMM. .5 4. Future policy directions for SMM. .5 Chapter 4 Future policy directions. 62 4.1 Policy Integration . 63 Chapter 1 - What is Sustainable Materials Management?. 7 4.2 Measuring and indicators. 64 1.1 Clarifying terminology; do we talk about the same?. 7 4.3 Research & Development. 67 1.2 Main evolutions in material use. 9 4.4 World 2.0. 67 1.2.1 Reaction: from end-of-pipe to eco-efficiency and supply chain. 9 1.2.2 Re-designing: eco-effectiveness and closing the loop. 10 References. 69 1.2.3 Re-framing: towards new horizons of integrated approaches. 11 1.2.4 Future Challenges . 11 Chapter 2 - Why is SMM relevant? The bigger picture. 13 2.1 What has changed in a life time?. 13 2.1.1 The overall challenge: climate change and human development. 14 2.1.2 Food. 16 2.1.3 Living - housing . 18 2.1.4 Mobility. 21 2.2 Why is SMM relevant?. 23 2.3 What are the future challenges for SMM?. 23 SMM for Europe, from efficiency to effectiveness | pag 3 EX E CUTIV E SUMMARY Objective Production (SCP), and Sustainable Materials redesigning products, addressing challeng- The objective of this report is to provide a clear Management (SMM). The study uses the OECD es in the supply chain with involvement of and easily understandable background study definition on SMM as a basis as it provides the other stakeholders, and taking on the res- on what sustainable materials management broadest vision of these four concepts. This ponsibility for products. Eco-effectiveness, (hereafter SMM) is about, what the main evolu- SMM definition must be seen from its most closing the loop and LCA are central to the tions are, and why SMM is relevant. The report integrated point of view, also encompassing the business activities, whereby new product- provides examples of a great variety of cases issues of land use, absolute decoupling of eco- service concepts emerge. and illustrates the challenges for further policy nomic growth and natural resource use, while 3. Reframing – triple loop learning (‘knowing development on SMM at EU level. addressing changes in human lifestyles. why’): this shift – we are only at the begin- ning of this process – implies a systemic The study serves as a basis for debate for the The concept of material use has evolved over change towards cyclical and fully integrated informal Environmental Council on July 12 and the past decades, due to increased knowledge ways of addressing material use, towards 13, as part of the Belgian EU Presidency during on and understanding of the complexity of sustainable materials management. the second semester of 2010. It is not intended ecosystems and the strong interconnected- to give an exhaustive outline of the whole spec- ness of global environmental, societal and The further evolution of Sustainable Materials trum of SMM and related concepts, nor of the economic aspects. The evolutions in material Management in the 21st century then also different existing policies at all political levels. use can be roughly divided in three main shifts, means: which have parallels with the different levels of • Responsible, fair and just extraction and 1. What is SMM? organisational learning. These shifts indicate an use of raw materials and natural resources, The term SMM is one of several existing evolution towards more integrated approaches including responsible land and water use, terminologies used for an approach to pro- of material use, bearing in mind that scientific safeguarding soil quality and biodiversity; mote sustainable material use. Knowledge knowledge, real business practices and actual • Establishment of absolute decoupling of on sustainable development (SD) at large and governmental interventions do not necessarily material & resource use (including produc- the (complex) relationship with how we use, emerge at the same time in these evolutions. tion of waste and emissions) and economic through production and consumption, materi- 1. Reaction – single loop learning (‘knowing growth (‘beyond GDP’, from growth to als, natural resources (including energy, water what’): mainly end-of-pipe reactions on wealth); and land) have strongly evolved in recent pollution and damage; waste management • Behavioural changes in the production and decades. The terminology originates from the and eco-efficiency are central to busi- consumption patterns. UN World summits on SD and is used at EU, ness activities. The focus is mainly on the UN and OECD level. The most common terms improvement and efficiency of production 2. Why is SMM relevant? used are: Integrated Product Policy (IPP), processes (clean technology). In order to understand the real challenges for Sustainable use and management of natural 2. Redesigning – double loop learning (‘know- sustainable materials management we need resources, Sustainable Consumption and ing how’): a shift towards rethinking and to understand the bigger picture. Our human SMM for Europe, from efficiency to effectiveness | pag 4 ecological footprint overshoots earth’s carry- changed life-styles, increased income and mo- their innovative potential. The cluster themes would need to be reduced by approximately ing capacity. In simple terms: we act as if we bility, and differences in consumption patterns are: 90% compared to its present level (Factor 10). have more than one planet to live on. We use between women and men. 1. Waste collection, treatment and recycling This can only be achieved by real breakthrough more resources and produce higher levels of Research shows, furthermore, that the EU is 2. Reuse and repair system-level innovations; thus moving from greenhouse gases, toxics and non-degradable the world region that outsources the biggest 3. Collection and linear upgrading/recycling/ eco-efficiency to eco-effectiveness and further waste than this planet has the capacity and the part of resource extraction required to produce reuse/recovery of (inorganic) residues to conservation; to eco-sufficiency. It is about time to, respectively, regenerate or assimilate. goods for final demand (private and public 4. Eco-design transformation and changes in the systems of Nevertheless, respecting these ecological limits consumption), thus exceeding a potential self- 5. Product Service Systems provision and our behaviour. Such changes are (sources and sink capacity) is the non-negotia- sufficiency of natural resource use (ITRE, 2009). 6. Cradle to Cradle unlikely to occur by normal market processes, ble basis for our social and economic develop- As materials demand is expected to grow four- 7. Choice Editing or at national levels alone. There is a strong ment. SMM is part of other challenges as well, fold in the next two decades, dematerialisation, 8. Biomaterials and natural ecosystems need for a comprehensive policy mix and e.g. the crises related to climate change, the resource productivity, and a shift from efficiency 9. Transition Towns actions at EU level that further supports the energy system, land use, loss of biodiversity, thinking to effectiveness and sufficiency is 10. Knowledge Networks for Transitions necessary shift towards higher levels of SMM social equity, etc. and has to be understood in urgently needed. 11. IT in SMM maturity. the larger framework of sustainable develop- 12. Closed loop industry systems for (inorganic) ment visions and strategies for the future. 3. Case examples of SMM residues An effective change strategy towards SMM To provide a clear framework for the variety and requires integration of several aspects, such as: To picture the monumental changes since the levels of SMM initiatives the authors developed Furthermore, some specific policy measures responsible extraction, use and re-use, healthy 1960’s this study describes the evolutions in the ‘SMM Maturity Model’. This model is based from six countries