Material flow analysis

Kathrin Greiff, Berfin Bayram and Wiebke Hagedorn

Chapter 110 in Elgar Encyclopedia of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment, 2026, pp 407-409 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Material Flow Analysis (MFA) is a systematic approach utilized to quantify and comprehend the flow of materials within a material system, often focusing on economies or specific industrial sectors. MFA provides crucial insights into resource consumption, waste generation, and opportunities for enhancing resource efficiency and mitigating environmental impact. MFA is frequently applied in environmental management, resource conservation, and policymaking domains. It enables detailed examinations of material flows, aiding in the evaluation and improvement of resource utilization efficiency and waste management practices. Despite its benefits, MFA faces challenges such as data availability and quality, system complexity, and dealing with dynamics and uncertainties. Recent innovations in MFA methodology include dynamic MFA, uncertainty management, and integration with other analytical tools like Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to assess environmental impacts comprehensively. MFA is a powerful tool for quantifying and understanding material flows, with diverse applications in environmental management, resource conservation, and policymaking.

Keywords: Resource consumption; Material flow; Sankey diagram; Mass balance; Resource management; Material flow accounting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035309887
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