Analysing material and embodied environmental flows of an Australian university — Towards a more circular economy

摘要: Abstract Humans are extracting and consuming unprecedented quantities of materials from the crust Earth. Contributing to this consumption, university campuses require large amounts operate. This offers opportunities for implementation circular economy principles that optimise material use demonstrate best practice future generations decision makers, globally. paper uses Parkville campus University Melbourne as a single revelatory case study quantify its flow 2017. We extremely disaggregated procurement data 11 555 purchases materials, mapped against 189 different archetypes estimate inflows. Material outflows sourced directly waste management contractor University. also embodied energy, water, greenhouse gas emissions all inflows, using environmentally extended input-output analysis. Results show procurement-related inflows tend represent small share (∼4%) total flows (2 280 Gg), but result in significant environmental effects due nature (e.g. electronics, cabling, photovoltaic panels, furniture, etc.). The modelled 22 587 GJ 1 477 GgCO2e 30 891 kL 3.46 MAUD cost, annually. Yet, majority on be generated by non-procurement-related drivers, notably food packaging resulting retail off campus. Based these findings, recommends series actions universities organisations can adopt transition more economy.