How do you measure the circularity of your products?

1 Define your scope

The first step is to define the scope of your circularity measurement. This means deciding what products, components, materials, or processes you want to measure, and what aspects of circularity you want to focus on. For example, you may want to measure the circularity of your entire product portfolio, or a specific product category, or a single product. You may also want to measure the circularity of different stages of your product life cycle, such as design, production, distribution, use, or end-of-life. Depending on your scope, you may need different data sources, methods, and indicators.

2 Choose your method

The second step is to choose a method that suits your scope and objectives. There are different methods and frameworks for measuring circularity, each with its own advantages and limitations. Circularity indicators, such as the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) developed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, are quantitative or qualitative measures that reflect the degree of circularity of a product, material, or process. For example, the MCI measures the circularity of a material based on its origin, use, and destination. Other examples include the Circular Economy Score (CES), the Product Circularity Indicator (PCI), and the Circularity Gap Indicator (CGI). Additionally, there are circularity assessment tools such as Circulytics which allow you to measure the circularity of your entire business based on various indicators and dimensions. Other examples include the Circular Transition Indicators (CTI) tool, the Circularity Deck tool, and the Circular Economy Toolkit. Lastly, there are circularity certification schemes like Cradle to Cradle Certified (C2C) which certify the circularity of products based on five categories: material health, material reuse, renewable energy, water stewardship, and social fairness. Other examples include the EU Ecolabel, the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, and the Zero Waste Certification.

5 Communicate your findings

The fifth step is to communicate your findings to your relevant stakeholders, such as your employees, customers, investors, regulators, or media. This means presenting and explaining your circularity measurement results in a clear, concise, and credible way. For example, you may want to communicate your circularity vision and strategy, your circularity achievements and challenges, your circularity impacts and benefits, and your circularity commitments and actions.

You may also want to use different formats and channels to communicate your findings, such as reports, dashboards, infographics, stories, or videos. You may also want to use different languages and tones to communicate your findings, depending on your audience and purpose. For example, you may want to use technical terms and data for experts and regulators, or emotional appeals and stories for customers and media.

6 Review and improve

The sixth step is to review and improve your circularity measurement process. This means reflecting on and learning from your experience, and making adjustments and improvements as needed. For example, you may want to review and update your scope, method, data, analysis, or communication based on your feedback, results, or changes. You may also want to review and improve your circularity performance based on your measurement results, such as by implementing circular design principles, adopting circular business models, or engaging in circular collaborations.

Measuring the circularity of your products is not a one-time activity, but a continuous and iterative process that can help you advance your corporate social responsibility and circular economy goals. By following these steps and using these tools, you can measure the circularity of your products more effectively and efficiently, and use the insights and information to drive your circular innovation and transformation.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?