Enhancing Circularity:Addressing the Diversity of Circularity Indicators for Biobased Systems

A transition to a circular economy has been high on the European political agenda for the last 10 years with the two circular economy action plans. Similarly, the biobased economy should advance to reduce our reliance on finite resource. This has introduced the concept of a circular bioeconomy. Often strategies for a circular economy are divided into a biological cycle and a technical cycles as different strategies and principles are needed. Over the years new circular strategies and principles have emerged to support the circular bioeconomy. <br/><br/>However, to further support this transition, it is necessary to have indicators which can assess the progress. The aim of this study is therefore to define how to assess the circularity of biobased system by developing a framework of indicators which can supplement LCA. The study provides a comprehensive review of existing scientific literature identifying indicators suitable (and already tested) for assessing the circularity of biobased systems. <br/>The review showed a high diversity in the indicators applied to assess circularity of biobased systems. 120 indicators were identified, 45 at micro level, 31 at meso level and 44 at macro level. One of the only indicators used across several studies were the material circularity indicator (MCI) developed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The MCI was used in eight studies, but specific adaptations were made. This implies that the indicator landscape for biobased system is very diverse and lack standardization which is a challenge for evaluating circularity. <br/>By synthesizing the findings from the review, a framework for circular indicators is proposed. This framework aims to enhance comparability and reliability in circularity assessments for researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders. The research is part of the EU-funded LCA4BIO project (n° 101135371).<br/>