Input-output analysis of waste cycles

Any production activity including recycling of waste materials and consumption emits waste. This paper presents an accounting framework describing the interdependence between the flow of goods and waste among different sectors of the economy, and derives a linear input-output model from it that can be used for analyzing the relationships among environmental loads, technology/institutions, and life-style. The accounting framework is used to analyze the municipal solid waste flow of a city in Hokkaido with an extensive waste management policy. The input-output model is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the policy with respect to the requirements for landfill capacity and energy.