Measuring product material circularity - A case of automotive industry

The circular economy concept is gaining increasing attention as a potential way to raise prosperity on the one hand and reduce the consumption of primary materials and energy and decrease waste generation on the other. One of the main principles of a circular economy is designing without waste – the target is to “close the loop” of the product life cycle. In particular, this concerns sectors such as the automotive industry, both because of its strategic economic importance and due to the potential and significance of the environmental impact mitigation within the life cycle perspective. Introduction of the circular economy principles requires application of appropriate indicators and measures for monitoring the effectiveness of activities oriented towards the transition from linear to circular models at different levels. This paper analyzes issues related to measuring circularity at the product level. Based on a multidisciplinary literature review, circularity methods and metrics are characterized. Then, the product material circularity indicator is calculated for a selected product of the automotive industry. The obtained results make it possible to indicate areas of potential improvements in the circularity of the product under analysis.