Publication details
Inequities blocking the path to circular economies : A bio-inspired network-based approach for assessing the sustainability of the global trade of waste metals
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Resources, Conservation and Recycling |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | article - open access |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107958 |
| Keywords | Resilience; Resource-use efficiency; Ecological network analysis; Ascendency analysis; Bio-inspired design; Waste trade |
| Description | Considering the importance of waste metals for the transition to circular economies, this study follows a bioinspired approach to evaluate their material and monetary global trade patterns for sustainability and equity. Between 2000 and 2022, the global trade grew by 5 % in trading countries, by 37 % in trade links, by 71 % in material flows, and by 569 % in economic flows. Driven by indirect effects, the average circulation of material and monetary flows ranged between 21.8-34.9 - 34.9 % depending on the demand or supply perspective but showed a declining trend. Due to homogenization, high network redundancy, and low network efficiency the trade remained robust yet outside the "window of vitality" characterizing natural ecosystems. A few, mostly high-income countries dominated the market, consolidating imports of high-value metal waste mostly from low- and middle- income exporters. Policies should address circularity and trade inequities, accounting for environmental and social ramifications throughout the lifecycle of products and materials. |