Systems Analysis Tools & First Insights from REMADE Projects Awareness Certificate

Dr. Barbara Reck of Yale University provides an introduction to systems analysis, the principles of the Circular Economy, and the tools and metrics used to measure progress towards more material circularity. These tools and metrics build on industrial ecology, a sustainability science that uses a holistic systems approach while assessing the material, energy, and environmental implications of economic activity. Participants will be introduced to material flow analysis (MFA) as a tool to:

• Inform about the efficiency of material management at any spatial or temporal level of interest
• Illustrate the circularity of material systems
• Calculate recycling and efficiency metrics

A brief introduction to life cycle assessment (LCA) will explain how LCA is used to understand the energy and environmental implications of alternative material management options. Examples using the above approaches will be provided for metals, plastics, and fibers (paper, textiles), demonstrating how systems wide analyses can help identify opportunities, challenges, and barriers towards more circularity.