A proposal for quantifying the recyclability of materials
Abstract
It is becoming of empirical importance that recyclability be defined in such a way that engineers, economists, and policy makers can agree upon and use collectively. This paper defines recyclability as the ability of a material to reacquire the properties that it had in its virgin state, where virgin state refers to the material in its purest form before being processed or shaped for a specific use. Anything less than that can be measured as a degree of its recyclability, defined as recycling index ( R). It is here proposed that R of a material can be estimated by its devaluation (how much the material devalues during its first use), which is reflected by its loss of monetary value. This way, R can be calculated by a mathematical expression. Because of their thermodynamic and kinetic properties, as well as advances in their recycling technologies, most metals are recyclable. They are therefore used to establish a relationship that determines how truly recyclable materials should behave.
- Publication:
-
Resources, Conservation and Recycling
- Pub Date:
- January 2002
- DOI:
- 10.1016/S0921-3449(02)00056-3
- Bibcode:
- 2002RCR....37...39V
- Keywords:
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- Devaluation of materials;
- Metals;
- Recyclability;
- Recycling processes;
- Reuse