Material system analysis. Functional and non-functional cobalt in the EU, 2012–2016

A comprehensive data inventory of the current materials cycle in industry and society is crucial for an informed discussion and for decision-making on the supply of raw materials. Particularly, it is key to understand how these materials are functionally and non functionally recycled, and enable the assessment of recycling indicators needed for the monitoring of circular economy. In this context, a material system analysis (MSA) of cobalt for the European Union (EU) from 2012 to 2016 is presented and discussed. Detailed results are provided for the year 2016, and the evolution of the flows over time is presented from 2012 to 2016. In addition, six indicators are calculated to characterize the cobalt cycle. In 2016, the EU28 embedded around 24,000 metric tons (t) of cobalt in manufactured products, and 33,700 t were put into use. The main losses of the system are due to non selective collection of post-consumer waste (disposed), and non functional recycling of old scrap. From the years analyzed, it was possible to detect a shift in the imports; the import of primary material decreased more than 99% between 2012 and 2016, and the import of semi-processed and processed materials increased around 31% in the same period. This indicates that after 2012, the EU became more dependent on imports in downstream stages of the supply chain. One way to decrease this dependency is to establish higher collection targets, and to establish recycling targets based on the recovery of single materials, in order to decrease the amount dissipated through non functional recycling.

GODOY LEÒN Maria Fernanda;  TORRES DE MATOS Cristina;  GEORGITZIKIS Konstantinos;  MATHIEUX Fabrice;  DEWULF Jo; 

2022-09-13

WILEY

JRC123953

1088-1980 (online),   

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jiec.13281,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC123953,   

10.1111/jiec.13281 (online),