- Author
- Davide Tonini, Paola Federica Albizzati, Dario Caro, Steven De Meester (UGent) , Elena Garbarino and Gian Andrea Blengini
- Organization
- Abstract
- Quality of recycling is a concept used by many authors in the scientific literature and the EU legislator. However, a clear definition of what is intended for quality of recycling and a framework for operationalising it is lacking. Most studies, while proposing indicators reflecting quality, leave the concept of quality largely undefined. Such lack of clarity is an obstacle to the conception of robust policies addressing recycling and circular economy. In this article, we review the available studies investigating on recycling quality, synthetize the approaches available and conclude suggesting a way forward for research to operationalise the definition to support circular economy policy measures and monitoring. Essentially, quality is not an on/off criterion. The definition of quality of recycling should consider that quality depends on technical characteristics of the recyclate, which determine if it is adequate (thus functional) for a certain end application or not. Furthermore, it should consider that the recyclate can be used in different end applications over different markets and that can be adequate for substitution of primary resources in certain applications, but less or not in others. At system-wide level, this results in a certain degree of virgin resource substitution. To this end, preserving functionality, i.e. minimising the recyclate loss of functions via functional recycling, is key. Drawing upon studies on waste management, life cycle assessment and resource dissipation, we link the concept of functionality to substitutability of virgin resources and broader suitability in the circular economy, striving to show the linkages between different perspectives.
- Keywords
- LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, PRODUCT DESIGN, RAW-MATERIALS, WASTE, MANAGEMENT, PLASTICS, LOOP, BENEFITS, ECONOMY, Resource, Secondary material, Waste policy, Functional recycling, Functionality, Substitutability
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Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-8759952
- MLA
- Tonini, Davide, et al. “Quality of Recycling : Urgent and Undefined.” WASTE MANAGEMENT, vol. 146, 2022, pp. 11–19, doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2022.04.037.
- APA
- Tonini, D., Albizzati, P. F., Caro, D., De Meester, S., Garbarino, E., & Blengini, G. A. (2022). Quality of recycling : urgent and undefined. WASTE MANAGEMENT, 146, 11–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2022.04.037
- Chicago author-date
- Tonini, Davide, Paola Federica Albizzati, Dario Caro, Steven De Meester, Elena Garbarino, and Gian Andrea Blengini. 2022. “Quality of Recycling : Urgent and Undefined.” WASTE MANAGEMENT 146: 11–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2022.04.037.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Tonini, Davide, Paola Federica Albizzati, Dario Caro, Steven De Meester, Elena Garbarino, and Gian Andrea Blengini. 2022. “Quality of Recycling : Urgent and Undefined.” WASTE MANAGEMENT 146: 11–19. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2022.04.037.
- Vancouver
- 1.Tonini D, Albizzati PF, Caro D, De Meester S, Garbarino E, Blengini GA. Quality of recycling : urgent and undefined. WASTE MANAGEMENT. 2022;146:11–9.
- IEEE
- [1]D. Tonini, P. F. Albizzati, D. Caro, S. De Meester, E. Garbarino, and G. A. Blengini, “Quality of recycling : urgent and undefined,” WASTE MANAGEMENT, vol. 146, pp. 11–19, 2022.
@article{8759952,
abstract = {{Quality of recycling is a concept used by many authors in the scientific literature and the EU legislator. However, a clear definition of what is intended for quality of recycling and a framework for operationalising it is lacking. Most studies, while proposing indicators reflecting quality, leave the concept of quality largely undefined. Such lack of clarity is an obstacle to the conception of robust policies addressing recycling and circular economy. In this article, we review the available studies investigating on recycling quality, synthetize the approaches available and conclude suggesting a way forward for research to operationalise the definition to support circular economy policy measures and monitoring. Essentially, quality is not an on/off criterion. The definition of quality of recycling should consider that quality depends on technical characteristics of the recyclate, which determine if it is adequate (thus functional) for a certain end application or not. Furthermore, it should consider that the recyclate can be used in different end applications over different markets and that can be adequate for substitution of primary resources in certain applications, but less or not in others. At system-wide level, this results in a certain degree of virgin resource substitution. To this end, preserving functionality, i.e. minimising the recyclate loss of functions via functional recycling, is key. Drawing upon studies on waste management, life cycle assessment and resource dissipation, we link the concept of functionality to substitutability of virgin resources and broader suitability in the circular economy, striving to show the linkages between different perspectives.}},
author = {{Tonini, Davide and Albizzati, Paola Federica and Caro, Dario and De Meester, Steven and Garbarino, Elena and Blengini, Gian Andrea}},
issn = {{0956-053X}},
journal = {{WASTE MANAGEMENT}},
keywords = {{LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT,ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY,PRODUCT DESIGN,RAW-MATERIALS,WASTE,MANAGEMENT,PLASTICS,LOOP,BENEFITS,ECONOMY,Resource,Secondary material,Waste policy,Functional recycling,Functionality,Substitutability}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{11--19}},
title = {{Quality of recycling : urgent and undefined}},
url = {{http://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2022.04.037}},
volume = {{146}},
year = {{2022}},
}
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