14 Small-Scale System Solutions—Material Flow Management …
273
Fig. 14.3 The transformative approach of MFM. Source IfaS (2019)
are the ultimate target. “Nexus” in this context emphasises the new holistic view of
managing systems as such, instead of optimising individual components in linear
flows. Closed-loop economies need to pay attention to embedded energy, virtual
water, carbon footprints, levelised costs of service, etc. This segmented view of our
society hinders economic efficiency, resource efficiency and emission reduction. As
often observed in such an approach, the suboptimal allocation of financial resources
also leads to negative incentives for unsustainable investments.
14.1.3.1 Material Flow Management
Material flow management (MFM) strives to change the throughput metabolism
and helps users to develop technical and economic alternatives designed to improve
the system’s conditions and reduce the outgoing material and energy flows—more
commonly termed emissions or waste. MFM could be applied to any typical consumption and production system insofar as its primary goal is to optimise material and
energy flows according to given objectives. Figure 14.3 illustrates the material and
energy flow of a typical throughput system that, by implementing MFM, circulates
resource flows while reducing virgin and non-renewable resource inputs, minimising
the loss of financial resources and reducing environmental impacts due to emissions.
Ideally, the resulting new system could be a zero-emissions (ZE) system, depending
on the targeted objectives.
Typically, material flow analysis (MFA) precedes MFM, during which a thorough
system analysis is performed to qualify and quantify the resource flows through
and within the defined system boundary temporally and spatially.
3 The MFA not
only collects and assesses the pertinent data, but also makes this information visible
and transparent. This, in turn, allows policymakers and scientists to simplify and
elaborate on the problems and their subsequent management options. Figure 14.4
3 MFA and MFM proper are the two methodological steps of material flow management. Material
flow management is a yet unpublished but often used management strategy developed at ECB by
Professor Dr. Peter Heck.
273
Fig. 14.3 The transformative approach of MFM. Source IfaS (2019)
are the ultimate target. “Nexus” in this context emphasises the new holistic view of
managing systems as such, instead of optimising individual components in linear
flows. Closed-loop economies need to pay attention to embedded energy, virtual
water, carbon footprints, levelised costs of service, etc. This segmented view of our
society hinders economic efficiency, resource efficiency and emission reduction. As
often observed in such an approach, the suboptimal allocation of financial resources
also leads to negative incentives for unsustainable investments.
14.1.3.1 Material Flow Management
Material flow management (MFM) strives to change the throughput metabolism
and helps users to develop technical and economic alternatives designed to improve
the system’s conditions and reduce the outgoing material and energy flows—more
commonly termed emissions or waste. MFM could be applied to any typical consumption and production system insofar as its primary goal is to optimise material and
energy flows according to given objectives. Figure 14.3 illustrates the material and
energy flow of a typical throughput system that, by implementing MFM, circulates
resource flows while reducing virgin and non-renewable resource inputs, minimising
the loss of financial resources and reducing environmental impacts due to emissions.
Ideally, the resulting new system could be a zero-emissions (ZE) system, depending
on the targeted objectives.
Typically, material flow analysis (MFA) precedes MFM, during which a thorough
system analysis is performed to qualify and quantify the resource flows through
and within the defined system boundary temporally and spatially.
3 The MFA not
only collects and assesses the pertinent data, but also makes this information visible
and transparent. This, in turn, allows policymakers and scientists to simplify and
elaborate on the problems and their subsequent management options. Figure 14.4
3 MFA and MFM proper are the two methodological steps of material flow management. Material
flow management is a yet unpublished but often used management strategy developed at ECB by
Professor Dr. Peter Heck.