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7
th
International Conference on
Recycling and Waste Management
October 03-04, 2019 | Melbourne, Australia
Journal of Environmental Waste Management and Recycling | Volume: 02
China’s metal demand and apparent future on sustainability: The case of copper and
aluminium
Disna Eheliyagoda, Xianlai Zeng
and
Jinhui Li
Tsinghua University, China
U
rban mining and circular economy are popular
concepts used in the development of sustainable
metal consumption strategies in China since recent two
decades. China produces and consumes a vast number of
elements in the periodic table pushing resource demand
into unchartered waters. Copper and aluminium are well-
known and indispensable major metals in the modern
Chinese society and their rapid growing demand is
expected to continue without sign on sooner decrease in
next three decades. Thus, this study intends to: (1) inspect
historical pattern of supply and demand, (2) project
demand until 2050, and (3) examine resource sustainability
prospects under different recycling rates regarding copper
and aluminium in China. Linear regression modeling and
scenario analysis were adopted in future projections while
using time-series analysis throughout the research. There
could be seen rising trends in the copper and aluminium
supply and demand from 1950 to 2015 disclosing almost
an exponential growth after 2000. Forecasts of the
scenario analysis demonstrate that both metal demand
will continuously increase between 2015 and 2030,
and thereafter, either become stable or decline slightly
except at the stable demand growth scenario. Research
results indicate that China’s current trajectory with
regard to copper demand is unsustainable. Recycling is a
suitable practice to reduce primary resource consumption
which would be more supported to achieve the circular
economy; however, it is challenging in application due to
high copper use in China which struggles to concern on
imports. Furthermore, the results of aluminium encourage
increasing the recycling rate approximately at 40-50%
which may help China to acquire self- sustaining goal by
2050 regarding aluminium. Inadequacies in discarded
product collection and existing policies hinder the progress
of internal recycling industry which would be carefully
addressed to maintain the future sustainability of copper
and aluminium resources in China.
Speaker Biography
Disna Eheliyagoda is currently a doctoral candidate in Environmental
Science and Engineering in Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. Her
PhD research focuses on “Resource carrying capacity and criticality
assessment of copper and aluminium in China.” Not only that but she
has also published a few articles on investigation of other critical metals,
i.e. gallium and nickel, sustainability via end-of-life recycling parallel to
her doctoral studies. She obtained her BS (Hons.) in Environmental
Sciences and Natural Resources Management majoring Earth and
Environmental Sciences at Faculty of Applied Sciences, Sabaragamuwa
University of Sri Lanka. While working as a junior researcher with
“Chemical and environmental modelling research group” at National
Institute of Fundamental Studies, Kandy, Sri Lanka, she completed her
BS research on “Characterization of dissolved organic carbon in open
dump leachate.” After graduation, she joined to International Union
for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) to assist
“Mangroves for the Future” project. After one year working period,
she started her Master’s studies in Environmental Management.
She obtained her MS at Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of
Colombo, Sri Lanka. While studying as a Master’s student, she worked
as a consultant in urban waste management which is related to her MS
degree and she also performed an assessment in cleaner production
and industrial ecology. After MS graduation, she worked as a full-time
consultant at Research Unit, the Open University of Sri Lanka and a
visiting lecturer in Environmental Studies until joining as a doctoral
scholar to School of Environment, Tsinghua University, China in 2017.
e:
dsn17@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn