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Circular Economy at the Firm Level: A New Tool for Assessing Maturity and Circularity

Author

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  • Pasqualina Sacco

    (Fraunhofer Italia Research, Innovation Engineering Center, Via Volta 13A, 39100 Bolzano, Italy)

  • Christian Vinante

    (Fraunhofer Italia Research, Innovation Engineering Center, Via Volta 13A, 39100 Bolzano, Italy)

  • Yuri Borgianni

    (Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Piazza Universitá 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy)

  • Guido Orzes

    (Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Piazza Universitá 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy)

Abstract

Although the circular economy (CE) concept is gaining traction and methods to assess companies’ CE-related aspects exist, there is no established CE assessment tool. In many cases, it is not clear how metrics or indicators included in extant CE assessment methods have been selected. To fill this gap, this paper presents a new instrument named Circularity and Maturity Firm-Level Assessment tool (CM-FLAT). The CM-FLAT has been developed starting from a transparent scientific basis, i.e., a recent systematic literature review and comprehensive collection of CE metrics. In addition, it targets the separate assessment of CE maturity, i.e., the presence of documented activities and practices laying the foundations for CE introduction, and circularity, i.e., attained CE-related performances. The development of the CM-FLAT has foreseen its formal evaluation by experts in the field of CE and sustainability, and its testing by a pilot group of companies from South Tyrol, Italy. The multiple verification activities have confirmed its usefulness and usability. Therefore, companies can now benefit from a tool capable of providing a comprehensive framework of factors and organizational areas affecting the introduction of the CE. This will be fostered by a computer-supported tool implementing the CM-FLAT, which represents the authors’ future work.

Suggested Citation

  • Pasqualina Sacco & Christian Vinante & Yuri Borgianni & Guido Orzes, 2021. "Circular Economy at the Firm Level: A New Tool for Assessing Maturity and Circularity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-17, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:9:p:5288-:d:551077
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Marina I. Baumer-Cardoso & Weslynne S. Ashton & Lucila M. S. Campos, 2023. "Measuring the Adoption of Circular Economy in Manufacturing Companies: the Proposal of the Overall Circularity Effectiveness (OCE) Index," Circular Economy and Sustainability,, Springer.
    2. Kayikci, Yasanur & Kazancoglu, Yigit & Gozacan-Chase, Nazlican & Lafci, Cisem & Batista, Luciano, 2022. "Assessing smart circular supply chain readiness and maturity level of small and medium-sized enterprises," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 375-392.
    3. Constantin Torcătoru & Dan Săvescu & Angela Repanovici, 2022. "Literature Review by Scientometric Methods on the Impact of the Circular Economy on Sustainable Industrial Products," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-16, April.
    4. Franco Fassio & Chiara Chirilli, 2023. "The Circular Economy and the Food System: A Review of Principal Measuring Tools," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-22, June.
    5. Caroline Samberger & Sanaz Imen & Katerina Messologitis & Arthur Umble & Joseph G. Jacangelo, 2024. "Assessing circularity of wastewater treatment systems: A critical review of indicators," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 28(2), pages 262-276, April.
    6. Larisa Vazhenina & Elena Magaril & Igor Mayburov, 2023. "Digital Management of Resource Efficiency of Fuel and Energy Companies in a Circular Economy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-21, April.
    7. Javier Maldonado-Romo & Mario Aldape-Pérez, 2021. "Sustainable Circular Micro Index for Evaluating Virtual Substitution Using Machine Learning with the Path Planning Problem as a Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-19, December.
    8. Aristea Kounani & Alexandra Pavloudi & Stamatis Aggelopoulos & Achilleas Kontrogeorgos, 2023. "Circular Assessment Tools: Assessing Circularity In Olive Oil Mills," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 2, pages 50-55, April.
    9. Jonas Nygaard Uhrenholt & Jesper Hemdrup Kristensen & Maria Camila Rincón & Sofie Adamsen & Steffen Foldager Jensen & Brian Vejrum Waehrens, 2022. "Maturity Model as a Driver for Circular Economy Transformation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-17, June.
    10. Hana Trollman & James Colwill & Sandeep Jagtap, 2021. "A Circularity Indicator Tool for Measuring the Ecological Embeddedness of Manufacturing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-23, August.

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