Enhancing circularity in EU product policymaking: A case study of a domestic oven using the EcoReport tool

Although supported by the scientific community and increasingly widespread in industry, the transition from a linear to a circular economy will be hampered if it is not accelerated through adequate policy measures. Therefore, integrating circularity into existing policies becomes imperative. Within the European Union (EU), the Ecodesign framework has been identified as one of the key legislative tools to foster products’ circularity, as it makes it legally possible to transform circularity principles into requirements, e.g. resource use, reparability, durability and recyclability. For the definition of requirements and their level of stringency, an assessment of economic and environmental impacts needs to be conducted. So far, this assessment has been supported by the EcoReport tool, to perform a simplified Life Cycle Assessment. The aim of this paper is to present how the EU is integrating circularity in the assessments that support product policymaking and to describe how the EcoReport tool is being adapted. Using an oven as a case study, the differences compared to the previous version of the tool are identified and discussed. The implications in terms of data requirements and results are presented. A more detailed and time-consuming process for data collection allows for more robust results of the impacts all over the life cycle. Moreover, guidance on how to further integrate circularity strategies, specifically on closing and slowing resource loops, is proposed in order to fill the gaps in the current assessment. However, a balance needs to be maintained, as adding complexity to the assessments could delay the policymaking, hindering the timely development of measures. The paper aims not only to draw lessons from the EU's transition experience but also to advocate their applicability and adaptability to shape policy frameworks across other regions and countries.