Measuring the circularity of products, services or projects is a very topical issue at the centre of activities and debates on possible approaches to be applied.
It should be clarified that to date there is no precise normative reference indicating a calculation methodology for measuring the circularity of products or services. Analysing and interpreting some of the principles in the EU Commission documents, “…the EU must accelerate the transition to a regenerative growth model that gives back to the planet more than it takes by working to maintain resource consumption … do everything possible to reduce its consumption footprint and double the percentage of circular material use in the next decade”, it appears that the Input – Output approach is the main key to defining a measurement model, which aims at the efficient use of resources and the maintenance and durability of their use.
The measurement of circularity represents a guide, precisely because it supports and orients material and design choices, consistent with what is required in terms of legislation.
Through an initial assessment analysis it is possible to identify critical points and subsequently carry out corrective actions through an improvement analysis.
From Matrec’s many years of experience in this field, it emerges that the close connection between the choice of materials and the application of sustainable design solutions requires an approach that quantitatively measures the environmental characteristics of materials and the ability of a product to survive over time, thanks to a design that is attentive to the requirements of disassemblability, reparability and durability. An approach that must strictly take into account the reference sector being measured, in order to identify the quantitative KPIs that are most useful for obtaining a useful result for the company.
The results of the circularity measurement also offer multiple food for thought, including, for example, the combination of different types of materials and the possibility of separating them at the end of their life, their replacement, repair or maintenance.
With the circularity measurement analysis, process waste can also be taken into account and an evaluation of the material capital of a company can be carried out, through detailed work that qualifies all material resources used by the company. The perimeter of inclusion or exclusion of the indicators to be considered is fundamental for obtaining a truthful and functional result for the company.

Source and image: matrec