MATERIAL FLOW ACCOUNTS A Tool for Assessment of Alternatives? Frances Irwin, World Resources Institute Lowell, Dec. 1-4, 2004

Material Flow Accounts track the amounts of materials--as classes or individual substances--that enter national economies, accumulate in capital stock, and exit to the environment during extraction, manufacturing, use, recycling/reuse, disposal. What are Material Flow Accounts?

Foreign Hidden Flows Domestic Hidden Flows Domestic Hidden Flows DOMESTIC ENVIRONMENT ECONOMIC PROCESSING Imports STOCKS Domestic Extraction Domestic Outputs The Materials Cycle Exports Source: World Resources Institute 2004

Status of Material Flow Accounts European Union--guidance, analysis, and indicators OECD--research on methods United States--NRC report, prototype database and template for entering data

Prototype U.S. Database Developed by WRI, USEPA, and USGS with other govt. agencies Includes bulk of materials flowing through economy, about 180 Inputs, Uses, Recycling, Outputs Times series for

Example Sources of Data Raw material supply--expert estimates, ag and energy agencies, trade associations Production--Mineral Commodity Summaries, govt. agencies, associations Use--Commodity Summaries, ag chemical use database, Census Materials Summary Release/disposal--expert estimates, EPA databases such as TRI and waste reports

Indicators at Level of Economy Create demand for substitution by providing government and public with broad indicators, use to set priorities Dematerialization--total materials, per person, per unit of GDP, hidden flows Detoxification--dissipation of hazardous materials

Trends in Material Inputs to the U.S. Economy, Source: World Resources Institute 2004

Trends in Material Outputs to the U.S. Economy,

Correlation of Population Density with Domestic Material Consumption per Capita Source: World Resources Institute 2004

Metals and Minerals Recycling per Capita and as a Percent of Use, Source: World Resources Institute 2004

Crop Production and Pesticides Consumption, Source: World Resources Institute 2004

Flow Characterization Mode of First Release--to air, water, or land as gas, liquid, or solid Quality--biodegradable, chemically active, persistent Velocity--years in economy, over 30 stock In future--use weighting scheme such as EPA’s TRACI

Characterization of Outputs in kg per person Source: World Resources Institute 2004

Potentially Hazardous Outflows to the U.S. Environment, 1975–96

Disaggregating the Accounts Develop standard Material Flow Data Sheet for entering data More detail on outputs at each stage of life cycle Add more detail on synthetic organic chemicals

Material Flow Data Sheet

Life Cycle Information

Data Availability for Five Waste Minimization Priority Chemicals Source: World Resources Institute 2004

Information about Individual Flows Are dissipative flows of persistent materials decreasing? What materials are accumulating in durable goods, stock? How will substitution of a material shift flows?

Source: World Resources Institute 2004 Housing and Construction Materials in the United States

Source: World Resources Institute 2004 Arsenic Outputs to the U.S. Environment,

Cadmium Uses, Source: World Resources Institute 2004

Advancing Material Flow Accounts Test Material Flow Data Sheet--how make make useful for assessing alternatives Propose materials to add to database Propose ways to present and disseminate data to encourage material substitution

Institutionalize US Accounts Material Flow Accounts need a home in United States; NRC recommends partnership Build links with data providers, media, investors, industry leaders, NGOs. Work with Congress to establish Accounts useful in assessing alternatives