A Conceptual Tool for the Implementation of the Circular Economy Emissions Reuse Closed Loops through Process Equipment

• Main Authors: Gregorio Ridaura, Sonia Llorens-Cervera, Carmen Carrillo, Irene Buj-Corral, Carles Riba-Romeva
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-10-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: circular economy closed loops; cleaner production; reuse of emissions in equipment; LCA; ARC
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/11/3912
• ISSN: 2071-1050

Nowadays industry is immersed in a transition to the Circular Economy (CE) as a way to achieve resource efficiency in production processes. However, the implementation of CE closed loops is still in an initial phase and it focuses mainly on the recycling of components of products instead of the reuse of emissions. The purpose of this study is to explore the possibility of accelerating the transition of the CE in production processes through a conceptual tool that allows the possibility of evaluating the reuse of emissions between the equipment involved in a process. The Environmental Analysis of Relations of Coexistence of the Equipment (EARC) tool is a novelty in the implementation of the CE emissions reuse closed loops at the company level. The EARC tool focuses on the identification and analysis of the equipment involved in a process and in the material inputs and emissions outputs of each of its operations with the objective of evaluating the possibility of reusing emissions among them. This paper presents a conceptual tool as the basis for the development of a redesign methodology for the reuse of emissions in production processes with the objective of reducing the consumption of resources and the generation of emissions as well as the reduction of production costs.