Development of a Simplified Circularity Index for Sustainable Manufacturing

Current manufacturing processes are primarily based on the exploitation of virgin raw materials. This linear approach of utilizing raw materials and natural resources is under increasing pressure because of its environmental and economic disadvantages. The concept of circular economy is based on the reuse, recycle, recovery, and refurbishment of materials and products. With the current environmental degradation scenarios, we need to accelerate the transition towards a circular economy and ensure that we keep products, materials, and resources in the economy for as long as possible. The impact on the environment needs to be evaluated over the material life cycle, i.e., from raw material extraction to production, use, disposal, and recycling. With a well-coordinated effort, a circular economy can contribute to minimizing the generation of waste and lead to a transformation of the economy by creating a new and more sustainable manufacturing and remanufacturing processes. Currently, there are several indexes and indicators that allow companies to identify additional circular value from their products and materials and to analyze and evaluate a range of environmental, regulatory, and supply chain risks for their products and processes. Since current indexes and indicators may be complex for some manufacturing companies to adopt, this paper provides a simplified startup solution on the quantification of circularity that can lead to manufacturing firms taking interest and expanding to more complex mechanisms later. A Simplified Circularity Index for Products (SCIP) is proposed along with a case study. This index can be applied to support managers in these firms in assessing their level of circularity.