Title: Progress towards a circular economy: new metric for circularity measurement based on segmentation of resource cycle

Authors: Tetiana Shevchenko; Yuriy Danko

Addresses: Scientific Department, Sumy National Agrarian University, Sumy 40021, Ukraine ' Sumy National Agrarian University, Sumy 40021, Ukraine

Abstract: In a circular economy, the material and product's value maintenance implies providing a unique way for their multiple transformations in an economy. This study is based on the assumption that preserving the value of a material and product in the economy for as long as possible is the result of the development of the structure of total resource cycles of a territory in terms of closing and slowing of material loops. Development of a resource cycles' structure occurs due to the reconstruction of the already existing cycles as well as the formation of new ones. In order to measure the improvements in the structure of resource cycles of a territory, which are the consequence of closing and slowing of material loops, the resource cycle segmentation as a tool could be applied. The paper attempts to develop the methodological approach in the measurement of materials and products' circularity based on the resource cycle segmentation. The findings contribute to the extension of the metric apparatus to measure the circularity that, as a phenomenon, is continuously changing in space and time.

Keywords: circular economy; zero waste; operationalisation; circularity; circularity potential; measurement; metrics; circularity indicator; resource cycle; closing loop; slowing loop.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2021.117195

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2021 Vol.28 No.2, pp.240 - 262

Received: 25 Feb 2019
Accepted: 29 Aug 2019
Published online: 23 Aug 2021 *

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