Evaluating Regional Circular Economy Based On Material Flow Analysis

The essence of circular economy means transforming or controlling the linear materail flow pattern, increasing the usage and transformation efficiency of resource and enengy, forming a more efficiency material recycle mode. The development of circular economy is an important way to achieve sustainable development of social economy. The method of Material Flow Analysis provides a new way of thinking for the evaluation and research of regional circular economy. Based on the method of Material Flow Analysis, the paper takes Yulin city in Shaanxi province of China as a case to study regional circular economy. The emphasis of this research is put on the regional Material Flow Analysis, the circular economy assessment system and countermeasures of regulation.Firstly, based on the review of the development of MFA and the assessment of circular economy, combined with the indicators of material flow and derivation, this research established the index system of the assessment of regional circular economy, and divided the evaluation index system into five criteria and 14 main targets.Secondly, based on the method of the analysis of regional circular economy, this research made detailed anlysis to the development of circular econumy in Yulin city during 1998 to 2008 with this indicator system.The conclusions are shown as follows:The local economic growth of Yulin city had always depended on the extraction of resource and primary refinement at a high speed. But it had a low resource productivity and high intensity of resource consumption. The mode of economy was still in linear economic growth with high resource input and high pollution discharge. The rate of intergrated utilization of industrial solid waste had been increased at a high speed for the introduction of circular economical industrial chains.The rate of indusrial water reuse was high, yet the rate of urban reclaimed water recycling was apparently lower than developed country. The rate of mining recovery was low, and the resource was wasted seriously. The rate of comprehensive utilization of waste materials had increased at a high speed. The rate of household seweage disposal and waste innocuity disposal were at low level. The urban water environmental capacity was at the saturated condition, and water pollution was serious. The environmental capacity of SO2 was unsaturated at atmosphere. The environemntal eco-efficency had been increased in recent years, yet was lower than the national average level. The trend of the whole development of circular economy has increased.Finally, this study proposed some firmly measures of the regulation which based on the issues of the devolopment of circular economy in Yulin city. The measures included developing and introducing new resources technologies, water reuse technology and the expansion of water environmental capacity and so on.