Measuring circularity: an application of modified Material Circularity Indicator to agricultural systems

Abstract

The transition from a linear to a circular economy is a research trend topic, as well as the possibility to measure the degree of circularity of products and systems. In a linear economy, raw materials are taken from nature and transformed into final products, which are subsequently used and become waste. On the contrary, a circular economy is an economic model that is restorative by intent and design. To measure the degree of circularity is fundamental for understanding processes and improving them. Moreover, this kind of measure could be useful for driving policies on the topic and achieving a higher level of sustainability. Until now, only few studies have been focusing on how to effectively measure the circularity level of a product, a supply chain, or a service. Moreover, in the circular economy paradigm, there are two types of cycles: the technical and biological ones. Biological cycles are mainly connected to the agricultural sector, and for this kind of cycle, the lack of measurement is even bigger. However, some agricultural productions, such as intensive meat production processes, have basically a linear structure. Intensive broiler production, for instance, uses a quite high rate of inputs, which is not entirely converted into edible products but instead results in a percentage of wasteful outputs. The aim of this work is to propose a modification of one of the few available tools for measuring the circularity, the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI), for adapting it to biological cycles. The modified MCI was applied to the poultry sector, integrating the results with the Life Cycle Assessment methodology.

Economía circular: un reto para las instituciones deportivas latinoamericanas (Circular economy: a challenge for latin american sports institutions)

“…Por ello, resulta valido el postulado de Blasi, Crisafulli & Sedita, (2021) en que promover la circularidad de las prácticas comerciales y las ofertas de productos, es un proceso fundamental para aumentar el valor de circular de los productos, con un efecto aún subestimado en la respuesta del mercado y, por lo tanto, en el desempeño de la empresa. En este caso la industria deportiva deberá plantearse la reutilización de los productos o su incorporación a otras categorías deportivas inferiores en las cuales se podría continuar alargando su vida útil elementos con los que coincide Rocchi, Paolotti, Cortina, Fagioli, & Boggia (2021).…”

Life cycle and circularity metrics to measure the sustainability of closed-loop agri-food pathways

“…The circularity assessment was performed by calculating the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI), which measures how much linear flow has been minimized and remedial flow maximized for its components and, at the same time, for how long and intensively (Rocchi et al, 2021). The MCI has a range of values from 0 (100% linear) to 1 (100% circular).…”

“…In terms of LCA, ELCC, and MCI integration, only three studies have addressed the simultaneous application of these methodologies in the agribusiness sector, which focused on poultry production (Rocchi et al, 2021), urban agriculture (Rufí-Salís et al, 2021), and beer packaging (Niero and Kalbar, 2019).…”

Available Pathways for Operationalizing Circular Economy into the Olive Oil Supply Chain: Mapping Evidence from a Scoping Literature Review

“…However, the CE perspective offers valid operative visions and solutions for reaching tangible objectives of long-term sustainability, notably in a context of shrinking resources even more undermined by the effects of climate change and, becomes a promising tool of sustainable development especially for overcoming the drawbacks of the conventional linear model. Besides, being mainly defined at the microlevel and focused on the design of innovative business models, CE appears to be more capable: (i) to outline feasible ways for internalizing environmental and health-related external costs, while creating value added; (ii) to "operationalize the concept of sustainable development for business activities" [23]; and (iii) to enable the development of contracts "that can better align incentives and lead to more eco-efficient uses of resources" [22].…”