SPARK!

Lecture with platform Industrial Symbiosis

Challenge by Leonardo Rosado (Chalmers University of Technology) "Linking urban mining with Industrial processes: An identification of resource quantities available" Problem Recycling of materials eliminates emissions associated with extraction of raw materials extraction and their processing. This is mainly due to less energy need to recycle an end-oflife product than to process a raw material. Therefore, the recovery of products in the end-ofuse phase can be considered an interesting source of materials to recycle. Background Urban areas are centres of consumption and accumulated stocks of materials, and are places that best suit for the recovery of end-of-life products. In the specific case of Gothenburg, not only is the Swedish metropolitan area a centre of consumption and stock, but it is also an area with a large industrial sector. Among the most important industrial activities, the automotive industry and oil refining and connected processes. Based on a recent study for the Gothenburg Metropolitan Area (GMA) it was found that the maximum local available materials for recycling are: steel and iron 400.000 tonnes/year; cement 65.000 tonnes/year; chemicals 5.000 tonnes/year At the same time the output production (in tonnes) of industrial activities in the GMA are represented in the below figure.

Figure - Industrial production of selected materials in the GMA (tonnes)

C em ent
200 000

180 000

160 000

140 000

120 000

100 000

80 000

60 000

40 000

20 000

0 1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

C hem ic als
3 000 000

2 500 000

2 000 000

1 500 000

1 000 000

500 000

0 1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

Iron, S teel allo y ing M etals and F errous M etals

2 500 000

2 000 000

1 500 000

1 000 000

500 000

0 1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

Challenge: Discussion (20 min) Based on the given information, if you had to choose a material to retrieve from the urban area to be used as secondary material (substitute of a raw material) in local industries which one would you choose? Take into account the percentage of raw materials that can be avoided. (6 min) Asides prioritizing a material purely based on physical quantities, which other variables should you take into account to decide which material should be substituted? Reflect upon different criteria, in particular environmental and economic, but also technological aspects. (7 min) Discuss strategies to implement the retrieval of the materials in larger quantities? Take into account the 3 different types of materials. Different spatial scales. (7 min) Output (10 min) Visual representation of reduced needs of raw materials for each material type and description of the chosen option. List of criteria needed when choosing which material to retrieve and small description of its importance. Paragraph describing strategies to retrieve larger quantities.

Future collaboration The Urban Metabolism group at Chalmers is composed of 3 people (Yuliya Kalmykova, Leonardo Rosado and Joo Patrcio) and we are currently developing the field. We are actively applying for projects, and a PhD position to develop this type of work will be available in the future. We have been also teaching the Urban Metabolism course at Chalmers, and students develop in groups projects in this field of research. We also accept students to make their master thesis on a suitable topic. Contact: Leonardo Rosado, rosado@chalmers.se