Material Flow Analysis in WEEE Management for Circular Economy: A Content Review on Applications, Limitations, and Future Outlook

Dhiya Durani Sofian Azizi, Marlia M. Hanafiah () and Kok Sin Woon
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Dhiya Durani Sofian Azizi: Department of Earth Science and Environment, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
Marlia M. Hanafiah: Department of Earth Science and Environment, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
Kok Sin Woon: New Energy Science and Engineering Department, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Malaysia, Sepang 43900, Selangor, Malaysia

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 4, 1-22

Abstract: Recently, the material flow analysis (MFA) of waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) has attracted much interest from researchers worldwide because of its function as a decision-making tool for moving towards a circular economy and sustainability in WEEE management. However, review studies on the development of MFA in WEEE management studies are still lacking. To fill this gap, 115 MFA studies published in various databases between 2010 and 2022 were analysed to provide a comprehensive overview of current research progress and recommendations for future studies. Three major elements from previous studies were reviewed using content analysis: (i) the trend of publishing in OECD and non-OECD countries over time; (ii) the scope and boundaries of the aspect studied, and the use of MFA in forecasting the generation, flow, and stock of WEEE; and (iii) providing a future outlook for MFA studies based on its limitations. Further analysis has revealed a considerable increase in the number of studies on MFA of WEEE in major OECD nations; however, the number of studies on concentrated areas of WEEE, particularly in non-OECD countries, remains low. Another limitation of MFA research is the scope and boundaries, with very few studies addressing the aspects of uncertainty analysis, circular economy, and life cycle analysis. Due to the increasing number of newly developed methodologies and the absence of thorough evaluation on this study topic, few studies properly utilised the static or dynamic MFA model. Thus, based on the research limitations and gaps discussed, recommendations for future studies are proposed.

Keywords: material flow analysis; waste electrical and electronic equipment; WEEE generation; WEEE flow; sustainable WEEE management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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