Waste management of urban agglomeration on a life cycle basis

• This study explores and analyzes material metabolism in an urban agglomeration to guide regional waste management.
• A mixed-unit input–output life cycle assessment model is used, and the material flow of Su–Xi–Chang is taken as a case study.
• We establish two scenarios, and the centralized recycling mode is more ideal according to the life cycle impacts of several core material indicators.

Recent material metabolism research has been conducted into urban and regional area, but relatively little research explores material metabolism relationships within urban agglomerations. Therefore, this study attempts to explore and analyze one category of material metabolism in an urban agglomeration. Furthermore, it provided a scientific basis for waste management within urban agglomerations. It did this by changing the recycling mode of material metabolism and investigated the resulting life cycle effects. The Chinese urban agglomeration of Su–Xi–Chang was taken as a case study. A mixed-unit input–output life cycle assessment model was used to analyze scrap tire management. The results show that China's energy savings and emission reduction requirements are best met by centralized recycling. However, in promoting centralized recycling, attention should be paid to improving production technologies so as to reduce negative resources and environmental impacts. This paper's analysis can be applied equally to resources management and the evaluation of other waste flows in urban agglomerations.