The circular economy is central to Sustainability. It represents a new economic paradigm that aspires to replace the “take-make-dispose” of the traditional linear economy, with the objective of minimizing wastes and retaining materials’ value in the long-term, thus promoting efficient use of natural resources.
We assess the level of circularity of products and companies to identify challenges and opportunities, support communication and design. We use the following indicators that are developed and used in the scientific literature:
Material circularity indicator.
Product circularity indicator
Component circularity indicator
Supply chain circularity indicator
End-of-life circularity indicator
Resource efficiency indicator
Waste prevention indicator
Reuse indicator
Recycling efficiency indicator
Energy recovery indicator
Upcycling indicator
“Circularity” does not necessarily imply environmental performance or sustainability. Rather, this must be assessed and demonstrated on a case by case basis. For this reason, we recommend doing sustainability assessment in addition to this.