Material efficiency

Material efficiency is an economic term that describes the relationship between the material used ( input ) and the products received ( output ).

definition

Material efficiency

Material efficiency represents the ratio of the manufactured products to the amount of materials used.

${\ displaystyle material efficiency = product output / material input}$

Material efficiency is closely linked to the concept of resource efficiency . Since the production and processing of materials is often associated with a high expenditure of energy, an increase in material efficiency also leads to a reduction in energy consumption.

Material productivity

The now popular term is synonymous with material productivity, the latter being technically more correct (see also productivity ). The definition of product output and material input only applies to the standard case of production. Material efficiency expresses the relationship between quantitative yield and quantitative expenditure more precisely (cf. Dyckhoff 1994). This means that the term can also be applied to disposal and recycling processes. Then we get:

${\ displaystyle material efficiency = quantitative income / quantitative expenditure}$

The quantitative yield can be goods on the output side (production) and evils on the input side (reduction of undesirable materials ( waste )) and the quantitative expenditure can be goods on the input side (scarce resources ) and evils on the output side (waste, emissions ).

The material efficiency is based on the causation principle, i.e. the material inputs that are caused by the product output are to be assigned to the product output. The methods for determining material efficiency must take this into account. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methods ensure this.

Material demand and material efficiency

An expanded concept of material efficiency as a strategy for reducing material demand and reducing energy requirements and CO ₂ emissions can be found at Allwood et. al (2011) and in the 5th report of the IPCC (2014).

The energy and process-related CO ₂ emissions can be represented in simplified form using the following equation:

${\ displaystyle C = (N + {\ frac {S} {L}}) * {\ frac {M_ {P}} {D}} * {\ frac {M_ {S}} {M_ {P}}} * (f_ {0} * {\ frac {C_ {0}} {M_ {0}}} + f_ {r} * {\ frac {C_ {r}} {M_ {r}}} + f_ {u} * {\ frac {C_ {u}} {M_ {u}}})}$

This includes the following factors: emissions (C), material demand (N), replacement demand (S), service life (L), material demand per product , rate of material efficiency in the product , proportion of material supply (f), emission intensity through the supply routes of primary generation, recycling and trap . ${\ textstyle \ left ({\ frac {M_ {P}} {D}} \ right)}$ ${\ textstyle \ left ({\ frac {M_ {S}} {M_ {P}}} \ right)}$ ${\ textstyle \ left ({\ frac {C_ {i}} {M_ {i}}} \ right)}$

Using the individual factors, various strategies can be identified and quantified in order to increase material efficiency and reduce material and energy requirements as well as the CO ₂ footprint .

Strategies for increasing material efficiency

There are various strategies for increasing material efficiency on a corporate and political level.

The strategies include, among others

Reduction of the product-specific material requirements, e.g. B. by lightweight construction
Increase in the intensity of use and utilization of products, systems and tools, e.g. B. through sharing models
Extension of the product life, e.g. B. through repair measures
Substitution by other materials with a smaller material footprint
"Reduction of resource losses through improvement or assurance of quality (reduction of rejects)"
" Optimization of the production processes, e.g. by reducing waste"
"Optimization of the construction, resource-saving product design (e.g. lightweight construction, lighter products)"

Politically, the issue is taken up by funding programs for improving material efficiency, for example by the German Material Efficiency Agency or the Federal Environment Ministry .

Significance and contribution to increasing material productivity

Material efficiency has gained importance in terms of industrial cost development. In Germany, material costs currently represent around 50% of the total costs of a company in the manufacturing industry, but personnel costs only 25%. Due to the focus of cost reduction programs on personnel costs, labor productivity increased by a factor of 3.5, but material productivity only by a factor of 2.

Due to its importance for industry, numerous research projects and funding programs have been awarded on the subject of material efficiency. An important instrument for increasing material productivity is energy and material flow management or material flow analysis .

Increasing material efficiency is a key economic challenge against the background of global developments such as climate change or overpopulation . It is assumed that improved material efficiency is essential in order to serve the basic needs of all people in view of the scarcity of resources and a growing world population . In the long term, increased material efficiency should enable resource consumption and growth to be decoupled.

literature

Julian M. Allwood; Michael F. Ashby; Timothy G. Gutowski; Ernst Worrell (March 13, 2013). Material efficiency: providing material services with less material production . Philos Trans Royal Soc A . 371 : 20120496. doi : 10.1098 / rsta.2012.0496 . PMC 3575569.
H. Dyckhoff (1994): Betriebliche Produktion , 2nd edition, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York
M. Schröter; C. Lerch; A. Jäger (2011): Material efficiency in production: potential savings and dissemination of concepts for material saving in the manufacturing industry , Fraunhofer ISI, Karlsruhe, online

Web links

Research project "Material efficiency and resource conservation (MaRess)"

Individual evidence

^ ^A ^b Julian M. Allwood, Michael F. Ashby, Timothy G. Gutowski, Ernst Worrell: Material efficiency: A white paper . In: Resources, Conservation and Recycling . tape 55 , no. 3 , January 2011, p. 362–381 , doi : 10.1016 / j.resconrec.2010.11.002 ( elsevier.com [accessed February 15, 2019]).
^ ^A ^b ^c Marie-Sophie Wilde, Klaus Wiesen: Material Efficiency. Retrieved March 29, 2019 .
↑ Successful stimulus program for material efficiency by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. Retrieved April 2, 2019 .
^ Marie-Sophie Wilde, Klaus Wiesen: Material Efficiency. Retrieved April 1, 2019 .

[:0-1] A ^b Julian M. Allwood, Michael F. Ashby, Timothy G. Gutowski, Ernst Worrell: Material efficiency: A white paper . In: Resources, Conservation and Recycling . tape 55 , no. 3 , January 2011, p. 362–381 , doi : 10.1016 / j.resconrec.2010.11.002 ( elsevier.com [accessed February 15, 2019]).

[:1-2] A ^b ^c Marie-Sophie Wilde, Klaus Wiesen: Material Efficiency. Retrieved March 29, 2019 .

[3] Successful stimulus program for material efficiency by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. Retrieved April 2, 2019 .

[4] Marie-Sophie Wilde, Klaus Wiesen: Material Efficiency. Retrieved April 1, 2019 .