Development of Circularity Calculators

More and more companies see great opportunities in the circular model, as it not only allows them to capture additional value from their products and materials, but also to mitigate risks related to price (permanence and fluctuation) and material supply. These risks are present in all non-circular economy businesses. The circular economy also allows for economic growth without the need for more resources. This is because each unit has a higher value as a result of recycling and reuse of products and materials after use. Metrics that establish the degree of effectiveness of a company in making the transition from “linear” to “circular” are still under development. This article makes proposals for circularity calculators setting out different indicators that can be used by designers or company executives as a decision-making tool, but are also used for many other purposes such as internal reporting, procurement decisions and evaluation/scoring of companies or organisations. In particular, these calculators are oriented towards green purchasing by universities.