IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v10y2018i5p1479-d145226.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Transition of the Swiss Phosphorus System towards a Circular Economy—Part 1: Current State and Historical Developments

Author

Listed:
  • Jonas Mehr

    (Laboratory for Human-Environment Relations in Urban Systems HERUS, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Urban Ecology and Sustainable Living, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
    Ecological Systems Design, ETH Zurich, IfU, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland)

  • Michael Jedelhauser

    (Department of Geography, LMU Munich, 80333 Munich, Germany)

  • Claudia R. Binder

    (Laboratory for Human-Environment Relations in Urban Systems HERUS, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Urban Ecology and Sustainable Living, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland)

Abstract

Current phosphorus (P) use in European countries is highly dependent on mineral P imports and not sustainably managed. In order to identify and implement measures for sustainable P management, a comprehensive understanding of national P flows and stocks and their temporal dynamics is essential. We conduct a substance flow analysis (SFA) of the Swiss P system of the year 2015, and study the dynamics of the national P system by looking into its development since 1989. Furthermore, we investigate how political-legislative interventions affected the P system during this period. The results show that between 1989 and 2015, the P efficiency in Swiss agriculture increased from 59% to 94%, mainly due to a considerable reduction of fertilization in the agricultural subsystem. At the same time, Switzerland's P import dependency decreased from 33% to 24% between 1989 and 2002 because of a reduction of mineral fertilizer import and use. Between 2002 and 2015, the import dependency stagnated because further improvements in P use efficiency in agriculture were outweighed by a decrease of P recycling and an increase of P losses in the waste management system. By embedding these temporal dynamics in their political-legislative context, we found that top-down interventions such as incentives for a balanced nutrient budget in agriculture, restrictions of the use of animal by-products in the agri-food system or the ban of direct sewage sludge recycling in agriculture significantly affected and shaped the national P system. Our analysis provides profound quantitative and qualitative insights into past and present P management in Switzerland and is followed by part 2 of the paper, where we analyze possible future pathways of P management.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonas Mehr & Michael Jedelhauser & Claudia R. Binder, 2018. "Transition of the Swiss Phosphorus System towards a Circular Economy—Part 1: Current State and Historical Developments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-17, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:5:p:1479-:d:145226
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/5/1479/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/5/1479/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rizos, Vasileios & Tuokko, Katja & Behrens, Arno, 2017. "The Circular Economy: A review of definitions, processes and impacts," CEPS Papers 12440, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    2. Oliver Schwab & Ottavia Zoboli & Helmut Rechberger, 2017. "A Data Characterization Framework for Material Flow Analysis," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 21(1), pages 16-25, February.
    3. Paul H. Brunner, 2010. "Substance Flow Analysis as a Decision Support Tool for Phosphorus Management," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 14(6), pages 870-873, December.
    4. Claudia R. Binder & Ester Van Der Voet & Kirsten Sinclair Rosselot, 2009. "Implementing the Results of Material Flow Analysis," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 13(5), pages 643-649, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Rocío González-Sánchez & Davide Settembre-Blundo & Anna Maria Ferrari & Fernando E. García-Muiña, 2020. "Main Dimensions in the Building of the Circular Supply Chain: A Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-25, March.
    2. Ng, Sin Jin & Li, Bing & He, Zhengyang & Han, Jing-Cheng & Munir, Muhammad Tajammal & Wu, Xiaofeng & Huang, Yuefei, 2023. "Global phosphorus cycling: The impact of international commercial trading and the path towards sustainable phosphorus management," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    3. Gabriel Gerner & Jae Wook Chung & Luca Meyer & Rahel Wanner & Simon Heiniger & Daniel Seiler & Rolf Krebs & Alexander Treichler & Roman Kontic & Beatrice Kulli, 2023. "Hydrothermal Carbonization of Sewage Sludge: New Improvements in Phosphatic Fertilizer Production and Process Water Treatment Using Freeze Concentration," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-19, October.
    4. Carla Mae Jabar Pausta & Michael Angelo Baliwag Promentilla & Alberto Leyes Longos & Aileen Huelgas Orbecido & Arnel Bas Beltran & Regina Gador Damalerio & Maria Eda Apple Artesano Suplido & Devendra , 2023. "Resource-Oriented Sanitation: On-Farm Septage Treatment and Nutrient Recycling for Sustainable Agriculture in the Philippines," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-20, June.
    5. Mew, Michael & Steiner, Gerald & Haneklaus, Nils & Geissler, Bernhard, 2023. "Phosphate price peaks and negotiations – Part 2: The 2008 peak and implications for the future," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    6. Gerald Steiner & Bernhard Geissler, 2018. "Sustainable Mineral Resource Management—Insights into the Case of Phosphorus," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-8, August.
    7. Michael Jedelhauser & Jonas Mehr & Claudia R. Binder, 2018. "Transition of the Swiss Phosphorus System towards a Circular Economy—Part 2: Socio-Technical Scenarios," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-19, June.
    8. Marzena Smol & Paulina Marcinek & Eugeniusz Koda, 2021. "Drivers and Barriers for a Circular Economy (CE) Implementation in Poland—A Case Study of Raw Materials Recovery Sector," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-19, April.
    9. Luca Adami & Marco Schiavon, 2021. "From Circular Economy to Circular Ecology: A Review on the Solution of Environmental Problems through Circular Waste Management Approaches," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-20, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Francesca Gennari, 2023. "The transition towards a circular economy. A framework for SMEs," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 27(4), pages 1423-1457, December.
    2. Marco Bianchi & Carlos Tapia & Ikerne del Valle, 2020. "Monitoring domestic material consumption at lower territorial levels: A novel data downscaling method," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 24(5), pages 1074-1087, October.
    3. Nguyet Thi Tran & Dirk Weichgrebe, 2020. "Regional material flow behaviors of agro‐food processing craft villages in Red River Delta, Vietnam," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 24(3), pages 707-725, June.
    4. John, Beatrice & Luederitz, Christopher & Lang, Daniel J. & von Wehrden, Henrik, 2019. "Toward Sustainable Urban Metabolisms. From System Understanding to System Transformation," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 402-414.
    5. Maaß, Oliver & Grundmann, Philipp & von Bock und Polach, Carlotta, 2014. "Added-value from innovative value chains by establishing nutrient cycles via struvite," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 126-136.
    6. Breno Tostes de Gomes Garcia & Diana Mery Messias Lopes & Ilton Curty Leal Junior & José Carlos Cesar Amorim & Marcelino Aurélio Vieira da Silva & Vanessa de Almeida Guimarães, 2019. "Analysis of the Performance of Transporting Soybeans from Mato Grosso for Export: A Case Study of the Tapajós-Teles Pires Waterway," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-26, November.
    7. José-Antonio Corral-Marfil & Núria Arimany-Serrat & Emma L. Hitchen & Carme Viladecans-Riera, 2021. "Recycling Technology Innovation as a Source of Competitive Advantage: The Sustainable and Circular Business Model of a Bicentennial Company," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-37, July.
    8. Răzvan-Andrei Corboș & Ovidiu-Iulian Bunea & Daniel-Constantin Jiroveanu, 2023. "The Effects of Strategic Procurement 4.0 Performance on Organizational Competitiveness in the Circular Economy," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-17, February.
    9. Marta Wincewicz-Bosy & Małgorzata Dymyt & Katarzyna Wasowska, 2021. "The Supply Chain of the Mining Industry: The Case of Copper Mining," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(1), pages 204-225.
    10. OCOLIȘANU Andreea & DOBROTĂ Gabriela & AGÂRBICEANU Marcela Simona, 2022. "The Implications Of The Circular Economy On Sustainable Economic Growth," Management of Sustainable Development, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 14(1), pages 16-21, June.
    11. Cooper, James & Lombardi, Rachel & Boardman, David & Carliell-Marquet, Cynthia, 2011. "The future distribution and production of global phosphate rock reserves," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 78-86.
    12. Woodward, Rachel & Duffy, Noel, 2011. "Cement and concrete flow analysis in a rapidly expanding economy: Ireland as a case study," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 55(4), pages 448-455.
    13. Zygmunt Kowalski & Joanna Kulczycka & Agnieszka Makara & Roland Verhé & Guy De Clercq, 2022. "Assessment of Energy Recovery from Municipal Waste Management Systems Using Circular Economy Quality Indicators," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-22, November.
    14. Haradhan Kumar MOHAJAN, 2020. "Circular Economy can Provide a Sustainable Global Society," Journal of Economic Development, Environment and People, Alliance of Central-Eastern European Universities, vol. 9(3), pages 38-62, September.
    15. Chowdhury, Rubel Biswas & Moore, Graham A. & Weatherley, Anthony J. & Arora, Meenakshi, 2014. "A review of recent substance flow analyses of phosphorus to identify priority management areas at different geographical scales," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 213-228.
    16. Ueberschaar, Maximilian & Geiping, Julia & Zamzow, Malte & Flamme, Sabine & Rotter, Vera Susanne, 2017. "Assessment of element-specific recycling efficiency in WEEE pre-processing," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 25-41.
    17. Hale Çetinay & Franco Donati & Reinout Heijungs & Benjamin Sprecher, 2020. "Efficient computation of environmentally extended input–output scenario and circular economy modeling," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 24(5), pages 976-985, October.
    18. repec:aud:audfin:v:20:y:2018:i:48:p:478 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Luis Miguel Fonseca & José Pedro Domingues & Maria Teresa Pereira & Florinda Figueiredo Martins & Dominik Zimon, 2018. "Assessment of Circular Economy within Portuguese Organizations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-24, July.
    20. Kirsten S. Wiebe & Vibeke S. Norstebø & Fabian R. Aponte & Moana S. Simas & Tina Andersen & Gerardo A. Perez-Valdes, 2023. "Circular Economy and the triple bottom line in Norway," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 1-33, March.
    21. Cooper, James & Carliell-Marquet, Cynthia, 2013. "A substance flow analysis of phosphorus in the UK food production and consumption system," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 82-100.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:5:p:1479-:d:145226. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.