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Material Cycle Science Concept

Nik Meriam Nik Sulaiman

Sustainability Science Research Cluster

Universiti Malaya

30 April 2014, Intercontinental Hotel, KL

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Start – Waste

Material Cycle ScienceConcept

Circular Economy

End – Waste

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1 Is waste a “dirty” word?

Linear vs circular ?

Is this new?

Can we go beyond zero waste?

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Linear vs Circular EconomyLimits of linear

consumption

Ref: World Economic Forum Report :Towards the Circular Economy: Jan 2014

From linear to circular economy?

•Restorative or regenerative by intention and design

•Elimination of waste through the superior design of materials, products, systems, and business models

•In 2010, 65 billion tonnes raw materials enter the system•82 billion tonnes in 2020

•Global trends driving transition to the circular economy:

• Resource constraints• Increasing demand• Employment• A new type of consumer• Shift in socio-

demographics• Enabling technology• Legislation

TAKE MAKE DISPOSE

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Flagship projects for material sector

• ‘Golden oldies’:

• ‘High potentials’:

• ‘Rough diamonds’:

• ‘Future blockbusters’:

well-established high volume recycled waste purity (PET, glass, and steel)

high volume but lack systemic reuse (polymer)

large volume by-products (CO₂ and food waste)

innovative materials with breakthrough potential (bio-based materials)

“Sound Material-Cycle Society”

Formulation of the Basic Plan for

Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle

Society

A: Closed-loop system for waste management

Source: NWMS , Osaka, Honda

Concept of a Sound-Material Cycle Society

Key Dates:2003:1st Basic Plan

2007: Review

2008:2nd Basic Plan

2015:Indicators & target

2025Long Term

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Beyond zero waste?

• Our value system: WasatiyyahZuhudIstiqamah

• Lifestyle choices:Patterns of consumption

Thank you