The USA exports a substantial portion of the recyclable scrap generated each year to rapidly developing countries, while importing smaller quantities of scrap from the EU. Other than an integrated export and import relationship with Canada, the results suggest that there are two distinct circuits of scrap flows in the USA. This preliminary empirical research examines the export and import geography of the seven largest (by weight) US scrap commodities (iron and steel, paper, plastics, aluminium, copper, nickel and zinc) between 19 to ascertain the extent to which US scrap flows overseas and how that might affect our understanding of how material loops can close. A key, but as yet, unresolved question in this process is the geographic scale (local, regional, national, global) at which loop closing should take place. The recycling of scrap material forms part of this larger effort to reduce the overall environmental impact of production and consumption. Industrial ecology argues that the traditional model of industrial activity needs to be transformed into a 'closed loop' industrial ecosystem where used materials (scrap) and by-products would substitute for virgin materials during production processes. The recycling of scrap material has been identified as an important strategy in the larger theory of industrial ecology.
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