The circular economy and fertilizer industry: a systematic review of principal measuring tool

The fertilizer industry (FI) plays a crucial role in the global food supply chain to satisfy the needs of a growing population. However, the increasing use of fertilizers has a detrimental effect on the ecosystem. To combat this problem, industries have been using the traditional linear economy model. This model works on the principle of “take, make, use, dispose.” Despite this, there is a growing concern among the masses about the global waste crisis. Hence, a new and more sustainable approach has caught the attention of stakeholders—the circular economy (CE) model. The life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology is used by a number of industries to determine and evaluate the inputs and outputs of multiple activities carried out in a linear economy model. However, it is equally crucial for the LCA to incorporate into its framework the circularity relationship of resources. As more and more industries in developing nations are transitioning from the linear economy to the CE model, taking this relationship into account becomes all the more important. However, there is still a dearth of the literature that incorporates the circularity components of FI into the LCA framework. The current study aims to support the CE initiatives by presenting the systematic and bibliometric analysis of the overall development of the application of LCA. It is imperative to switch out the current LCA implementation with a more effective method that captures the worth of the resources that are reused, recycled, remanufactured, and repurposed. Additionally, the strategy must record the potential upstream and downstream impacts to make sustainable decisions. To achieve this, the study identifies the limitations and challenges of applying LCA to a CE model in the FI. This is done by applying the Boolean search criteria using Boolean operators: AND, OR, and NOT. Thus, to highlight scholarly trends, the study explores key contributors and contemporary dynamics, analyzes CE-LCA relationship in FI, and suggests possibilities of circular strategies for the future. The study will act as a multidisciplinary road map to resolve the current research challenges while considering the potential future trends to assist academic and industry professionals. The study also offers policy and managerial insights enabling policy and decision-makers of the FI to understand the effectiveness of the CE-LCA framework. Graphical abstract