Keep circularity meaningful, inclusive and practical: A view into the plastics value chain.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Materials Science
• Economics

Background:

• Circular economy policies necessitate robust quantification and monitoring of material, component, and product circularity.
• Complex value chains and diverse stakeholder interests complicate accurate measurement of circularity.
• Current measurement practices may prioritize superficial metrics over genuine sustainability objectives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically evaluate whether current circularity measurement methods truly address circular economy goals.
• To assess the inclusion of emerging technologies and regional specificities in circularity assessments.
• To explore the feasibility of simple approaches for measuring circularity and its sustainability.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of existing circularity measurement frameworks.
• Case study application using plastic packaging as an example.
• Development of a scorecard for approximating sustainable circularity.

Main Results:

• Current measurement approaches risk focusing on superficial effects, potentially undermining true circular economy goals.
• Emerging technologies and regional specificities are inadequately addressed in existing circularity strategies.
• A simplified scorecard offers a method to approximate sustainable circularity for products.

Conclusions:

• There is a significant risk of implementing policies and infrastructure that do not foster genuine sustainability.
• Future technologies and developing regions require better integration into circularity strategies.
• The proposed scorecard provides a tool for businesses to better assess and approximate sustainable circularity.