What does MFA stand for?
Material Flow Analysis
Definition MFA
- tool for studies of flows and stocks of material in system defined of space and time
(- the analysis of the throughput of process chains comprising extraction, chemical transformation, manufacturing, consumption, recycling and disposal of material, quantifying the inputs and outputs of those processes)
Term: Material
- substance and good
- good - substance or mixture of substances with economic value in flow analysis
- substance - single typ off matter, atoms or molecules
Term: Goods
- substance or mixture of substances with economic value in flow analysis
Substance
- single typ off matter, atoms or molecules
Term: Process
Transport or storage of material, where something is happening
Term: Stock
Material resorvoirs in the system
Increase in stock = in - out
Massbalance stocks = Min - Mout
Term: Flow
Links processes (mass per time)
Term: Input
Flow entering the system
Term: output
Flow leaving the system
The 4 steps of methodology for MFA
- Problem defenition
- System defenition
- Determination of flows and stocks
- Illustration and interpretation
(4 connects back to 2)
- determination of mass flow -> balancing of goods -> feedback loop
What can results be used for?1
- for managing resources, the environment and waste
- monitor accumulation or depletion of stocks, future environment
- design of environmentally benefitial goods, processes and systems
- for policy, project, region and nation, organisation, product, substances
Descriptive or change-oriented?
MFA is accounting and so it is descriptive
Procedural or analytical tool?
Analytical, focus on technical aspects of the analysis
Limits for MFA
- MFA usually cannot alone support decisions for environmental engineering or management
- often retrospective, but can be prospective
