Systematic generation and evaluation of waste-to-resource alternatives

Abstract

Circular economy appears to be the only suitable approach for closing the materials loop and so to make sustainable current development levels. In this work, a procedure to systematically generate a list of potential waste-to-resource alternatives, using a semi-automatic ontological framework, is presented. The generated alternatives are then analysed and sorted according to different indicators of their economic performance, environmental impact and technological maturity. The approach is illustrated through its application to the management of a residue composed by a mixture of plastic materials.