Researchers on the College of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a Circularity Index that they are saying gives a complete methodology to quantify circularity in bioeconomic techniques. In a brand new paper, they define the tactic and apply it to 2 case research – a corn/soybean farming operation and your entire US meals and agriculture system.
“The traditional economic system is linear – we produce, distribute, use, and dispose of products. To increase sustainability, we need to develop a circular economy. Rather than just using natural resources, we must recover, reuse, and recycle waste materials,” stated lead creator Yuanhui Zhang, a professor within the Division of Agricultural and Organic Engineering (ABE).
“Circular bioeconomy has become a hot topic in research, but most studies are merely descriptive and there’s no way to measure impacts. To move the technology forward, we need measurements to quantify effects, establish benchmarks, compare approaches, and identify weak spots,” he stated.
Within the paper, the researchers present a step-by-step define of the Circularity Index (CI), which measures circularity on a scale from 0 to 1. Zero means the system is totally linear, and 1 means it’s utterly round. The index consists of eight classes: take, make, distribute, use, dispose, recuperate, remake, and reuse. The CI is computed by getting into out there knowledge into every of those classes.
Zhang and his colleagues reveal how one can use the CI in two case research. The primary examines nitrogen biking in a corn-soybean farm within the Midwestern United States. The researchers enter manufacturing and output knowledge for a interval of 8 years, and evaluate the impact of two completely different fertilizer remedies: urea versus manure. They calculate the CI to be 0.687 for urea and 0.86 for manure, indicating the usage of manure fertilizer gives a extra round economic system.
Within the second case examine, Zhang and his colleagues have a look at the U.S. meals and agriculture system, specializing in vitality use. Drawing on nationwide knowledge from the USDA, EPA, and DOE, they evaluate the present system with an strategy primarily based on the Surroundings-Enhancing Meals Vitality and Water System framework, which includes restoration, remake, and reuse of natural waste. They discover the present system has a CI of 0.179, whereas the EE-FEWS strategy would result in a CI of 0.84.
“Our current production system relies primarily on fossil fuel, with some use of solar and wind energy. But there is very little recovery of biowaste. If we recover food waste and manure and turn it into energy and fertilizer, we can recycle it back to the agricultural systems it originates from. Employing the EE-FEWS framework would greatly improve circularity of the U.S. bioeconomy,” Zhang defined.
The CI is a scalable methodology that can be utilized on completely different useful resource varieties and techniques, relying on the main focus of curiosity. Assets will be minerals, reminiscent of carbon or nitrogen, or non-mineral, reminiscent of water or vitality. Programs can vary from a course of or a farm to an trade sector, a nationwide economic system, and even the worldwide economic system.
“We know it’s important to reduce fossil fuel use, increase renewable resources, and minimize our water consumption. But to do so effectively, we need to know how much, and what the weak links and tradeoffs are. The CI provides a single number that allows you to establish a baseline, compare systems, and determine best strategies for action,” Zhang stated.
The CI can function an indicator to help coverage initiatives such because the United Nations’ Sustainable Improvement Objectives. It additionally has potential business worth; for instance, meals firms can reveal their manufacturing circularity to shoppers.
The paper, “A scalable index for quantifying circularity of bioeconomy systems,” is printed in Assets, Conservation and Recycling [DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107821].
