Material flow analysis
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'Material flow analysis (MFA) is a method to analyse the flows of a material (or substance; substance flow analysis) in a well-defined system under study.
MFA is considered as one important tool of industrial ecology along with instruments such as life cycle assessment or Design for Environment. The goal is to get a transparent understanding of the material flows, to calculate indicators and to develop strategies and measures for improving the material flow systems. Material Flow Analysis thus is the basis for a material flow management.
Material Flow Analysis can be divided into the following three types:
- Material Flow Analysis on a national or regional scale, also referred to as Material Flow Accounting. In this type of studies the material exchanges between an economy and the natural environment are analyzed. Indicators are calculated in order to assess the level of resource intensity of the system.
- Corporate material flow analysis, or material flow analysis along an industrial supply chain involving a number of companies. The goal of material flow analysis within a company is to optimize the production processes in such a way that the materials and energy purchased and used for production is used in the most efficient manner, in order to avoid losses (e.g. by recycling and to reduce generation of waste. Companies that have implemented a material flow management use the results of the material flow analysis to constantly improve their operations in regard to costs and to environmental performance.
- Material Flow Analysis for the life cycle of a product. This is another term for the life cycle inventory step of life cycle assessment.
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