Study on the Visualization of Recycling Processes Using Sankey Diagrams and Their Effects

There is no standard method for visualizing the flow of resource recycling. In this study, the Sankey diagram, which is commonly used in the field of energy, was applied to the recycling process and the effectiveness of its visualization was investigated. The flow of weight data sorted in the resource recovery process was represented by a conventional bar chart and a Sankey diagram, and an online quizzes related to these were conducted. The results showed that the bar chart had a higher percentage of correct answers and shorter response time in quizzes related to the comparison of quantities. On the other hand, the Sankey chart was superior in terms of both correct response rate and response time in quizzes related to resource flows.