Sustainability reports may play an important role as a supporting tool in the transition of organisations towards more circular economy models, since their content can help to measure, monitor and ...communicate the organisations’ transition and to establish goals in the short/medium term. The aim of this study is to determine whether it is possible to calculate indicators capable of measuring the transition of organisations towards circularity from the information that they are currently communicating in their Corporate Sustainability Reports (CSRs), and what information would need to be incorporated in these reports to successfully carry out this procedure. To this end, by applying a three-step methodology, 34 indicators grouped into 10 categories were proposed to measure the level of circularity of organisations. This was completed with a detailed proposal of units/metrics to measure the indicators, based on those that organisations commonly use in their CSRs. For this purpose, information from 8 international programmes/frameworks that measure circularity at the territorial level was combined with circularity information that organisations are currently communicating in their CSRs. Finally, the proposed set of indicators and metrics were applied to a Spanish organisation dedicated to the forestry and paper sector with a CSR based on GRI-Standards. The results demonstrated that 25 of the 34 proposed indicators (74%) can be measured directly using the information included in the CSRs.
•Which indicators measure the advance of organisations towards circularity?•Which information organisations communicate in their Sustainability Reports (CSR)?•Can be circular indicators calculated using data from CSR?•Case study: 74% of the circular indicators can be calculated using data from CSR.
Repair is one of the main strategies to extend the lifetime of products in the circular economy framework. With the aim of identifying current consumer practices toward the purchase, use, and end of ...life of electric and electronic equipment (EEE), including willingness to repair, maintenance, and final disposal, a survey is designed and implemented online, taking kettles as an application case. Regarding current strategies for extending the lifespan of these items, a general lack of maintenance and low levels of reparability or reuse have been detected. Disposal patterns show that nearly half of all kettles disposed of were still functioning. Nevertheless, a future willingness to repair these items has been identified, either by users themselves or at repair centers, if the manufacturer provides the means to do so. Finally, the results reveal that when consumers purchase a kettle, the price and then the energy efficiency score are the main priorities affecting their purchasing decisions, taking priority over the reparability score. These results can help in the design of more focused and direct strategies to promote the reparability of small household appliances, encourage the authorities to regulate the new reparability score in a more efficient way, and improve the way that information is transmitted to users/consumers.
This study presents a methodology designed for selecting, from an environmental point of view, the best end-of-life scenario for electric and electronic equipment which breaks before the end of its ...life span. To this end, the environmental impact of the life cycle of the equipment is evaluated for two different end-of-life scenarios: repair & reuse vs. replacement. As a case study, the proposed methodology is applied to a representative sample of nine categories of small household electric and electronic equipment (120 appliances). Repair & reuse scenarios consider the life span and the typical failures and repairs associated with each electric and electronic equipment category and the use of the repaired equipment until the remaining life span after its breakage. Replacement scenarios also consider the life span associated to each electric and electronic equipment category and the replacement of the broken equipment by an equivalent during the remaining life span after its breakage. The environmental impact obtained for both scenarios for each small household electric and electronic equipment category is compared in order to identify the best end-of-life scenario. To do so, the life cycle assessment methodology is applied, using CML and ReCiPe as midpoint- and endpoint-impact assessment methods, respectively. The results indicate that for all the analysed categories, the repair & reuse scenarios generally prove environmentally better than replacement scenarios, as Directive 2012/19/EU promotes. However, for some types of failure, e.g. those related to motors or printed circuit boards, if the failure occurs at the end of its life span, replacement is a better option than repair & reuse, since the environmental impact of the repair activities is not offset by the environmental benefits of extending the useful life until the end of the life span.
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•Repair & reuse option is analysed against replacement option for the EoL of EEE.•Nine categories of small household EEE are analysed.•Different repair types are considered for each EEE category.•Repair & reuse option generally proves environmentally better than replacement.•For certain repair types, replacement is the best option.
Ensuring the success of organisations in their transition to a circular economy requires providing them with tools capable of measuring, monitoring and communicating their progress. That is, there is ...a need for tools that allow them to make a diagnosis of the current situation from which to establish objectives and goals in the short, medium and long term, while also enabling them to monitor the extent to which they are fulfilled. The aim of this study is thus to carry out a review of 10 tools specifically developed to measure the level of circularity of organisations and to perform an in-depth analysis of their general characteristics (ownership, launch date, interface, availability, language, application cases and training materials), required information (questions, categories and input data) and the results that can be obtained and the way in which they are communicated. This review shows that the number of circular assessment tools has increased in recent years, although there is a clear lack of harmonisation in terms of characteristics and content. It is concluded that these tools can be useful as a first starting point, but it is necessary to consider that when using them for decision-making, the results obtained in the same application could differ significantly depending on the tool applied.
•10 tools for measuring the level of circularity of organisations have been analysed.•General characteristics, required input data and results have been analysed.•There is a clear lack of harmonisation in terms of characteristics and content.•Circularity results are not comparable among the 10 analysed tools.
This study presents a methodology to solve circular economy multiple indicators system decision-making problems by applying the Partial Order Set Theory (POSET). To this end, a user-friendly tool was ...developed to allow the prioritisation of alternative scenarios or circularity strategies based on the value that each of them takes for different circular economy indicators (both quantitative and qualitative), but avoiding processes involving aggregation and weight among the indicators. The developed tool also makes it possible to model different restrictions that facilitate its adaptation to any case study and the incorporation of the results into the decision-making process. Moreover, it allows a graphical representation of the results to be obtained by using Hasse diagrams. Finally, the developed tool was validated by means of its application to a case study with the aim of prioritising circular economy strategies in an organisation belonging to the construction sector. Specifically, this organisation presented some opportunities for improvement, mainly related to the use of recycled and recirculated materials and effluents, waste recycling, energy efficiency and the proximity of suppliers, among others. The sensitivity analysis of the considered restrictions showed not only the robustness of the results obtained with the tool but also its great influence in circular economy multiple indicators decision-making solutions.
•Tool developed to solve circular economy multiple indicators problems by applying POSET.•It allows the integration of quantitative and qualitative indicators.•It avoids processes of normalisation and weighing of circular indicators.•Case study: prioritising circular economy strategies in an organisation.
The circular economy (CE) has been identified as a critical strategy to contribute to sustainable development and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, being one of ...the biggest challenges for society in general and organisations in particular. Hence, various methods have been developed in recent years to measure the level of circularity of organisations, such as methodologies, indicators, metrics and CE tools.
Universities, as education, research and community service organisations, play a key role in the promotion of and transition to the CE. Therefore, they require methods that enable them to quantify and monitor their level of circularity. However, it has been shown that CE methods developed for organisations are not suitable for such complex institutions, and, to date, no sector-specific methods have been developed.
In this context, it has become necessary to develop a useful method to quantify and monitor the current level of circularity, assess its progress and facilitate decision-making on circularity that addresses the specific needs of this type of organisation. Thus, a set of 82 CE indicators and their metrics, specific to universities, has been proposed. They have been implemented in an Excel spreadsheet tool called CExUNV, in order to promote and facilitate their use. In addition, 41 improvement actions have been suggested to guide and assist universities in their progress towards CE.
•A set of 82 CE indicators and their metrics are proposed for universities.•41 improvement actions have been suggested to guide universities towards CE.•CExUNV is the tool designed to facilitate the calculation of CE indicators.•CExUNV allow monitor the temporal evolution of CE indicators.•CExUNV suggest improvement actions to guide in their progress towards CE.
•12 social impact categories and 22 indicators are proposed.•Metrics for quantifying the social indicators are proposed.•The social performance of the management system of Joao Pessoa (Brazil) is ...analysed.•The social category with better performance is “value chain actors relationship”.•The social categories with major improvement potential is “working benefits”.
This article analyses the social performance of municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems in developing countries. For this purpose, a set of social impact categories, indicators and metrics capable of assessing the socio-economic and labour conditions of the different stakeholders involved in the life cycle of a MSW management system is proposed. Specifically, 12 social impact categories and 22 indicators with their corresponding metrics have been suggested. The application of the proposed indicators is illustrated by a case study in the districts of João Pessoa (Brazil), where selective MSW collection has been implemented with the collaboration of previous informal waste pickers, who have been reorganised into associations or cooperatives of collectors of recyclable materials (formal sector). The results suggest that despite the improvements made in the last decade in the current MSW management system of João Pessoa, there is still plenty of room for improvement. The social impact category with better performance is related to a “value chain actors relationship”, while “equal opportunities/discrimination” and “working benefits” show a high improvement potential.
The aim of this study is to conduct an environmental comparison, by applying the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, of two different compositions for animal foods each with two different ...nutritional contents (‘high’ for the lactation period, and ‘low’ for the rest of the year). Thus, for each nutritional content, the environmental performance of producing animal feed with a traditional composition mainly based on cereals is compared with a composition based on a mixture of biomass obtained from rice straw and citrus pruning waste. It was observed that the reprocessing of rice straw and citrus pruning waste into animal feed offered environmental potential compared to the current alternative of being burned in the fields. The environmental impact category global warming is especially improved, with impact reductions of up to 50% and 95%, respectively, for high and low nutritional content compositions. In addition, the alternatives proposed herein make it possible to avoid all the inconvenience and impacts on the health of the population living near the fields.
•Habits and practices towards the storage, repair and second-hand purchase of small ICT devices have been identified.•A survey conducted to a representative sample (95%confidence level and 5%margin ...of error)•73.9% of the respondents store disuse small ICT devices at home.•65.5% of the respondents have never taken to repair broken small ICT devices.•87.6% of the respondents have never purchased second-hand never bought second-hand small ICT devices.
This study analyses the current habits and practices towards the store, repair and second-hand purchase of small electrical and electronic devices belonging to the category of information and communication technology (ICT). To this end, a survey was designed and conducted with a representative sample size of 400 individuals through telephone interviews for the following categories: MP3/MP4, video camera, photo camera, mobile phone, tablet, e-book, laptop, hard disk drive, navigator-GPS, radio/radio alarm clock. According to the results obtained, there is a tendency to store disused small ICT devices at home. On average for all the small ICT categories analysed, 73.91% of the respondents store disused small ICT devices at home. Related to the habits towards the repair and second-hand purchase of small ICT devices, 65.5% and 87.6% of the respondents have never taken to repair and have never purchased second-hand, respectively, small ICT devices. This paper provides useful and hitherto unavailable information about the current habits of discarding and reusing ICT devices. It can be concluded that there is a need to implement awareness-raising campaigns to encourage these practices, which are necessary to reach the minimum goals established regarding preparation for reuse set out in the Directive 2012/19/EU for the category small electrical and electronic equipment.
The aim of this study is to analyse the evolution of the municipal solid waste management (MSWM) system of João Pessoa (Brazil), which is one of the pioneering Brazilian cities to implement ...door-to-door selective collection programmes to study the effect of policy decisions in the last decade about selective collection. To this end, the present study includes the characterisation of the waste management system in this municipality from 2005 to 2015, and the analysis of the relation of these data with the socio-economic characteristics of the population in different city districts based on the data collected directly from the different stakeholders involved in the MSWM system.
Our results are based on identifying the different socio-economic aspects that may influence the success of implementing recyclable waste selective collection programmes. This study also highlights the great deal of room for improvement in the selective collected waste ratio in João Pessoa as, in 2015, only 1.5% of generated recyclable waste was selectively collected. Spreading and improving awareness-raising campaigns throughout the city are key aspects that can improve this ratio, and the standardisation of registering information on the MSWM system is a basic issue to measure the system and to facilitate the undertaking of future analyses.
