LCA based circularity indices of systems at different scales: a holistic approach

Simone Bastianoni; Giulia Goffetti; Elena Neri; Nicoletta Patrizi; Anna Ruini; Fabio Sporchia; Federico M Pulselli

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165245

LCA based circularity indices of systems at different scales: a holistic approach

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Nov 1:897:165245. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165245. Epub 2023 Jun 30.

Authors

Simone Bastianoni¹, Giulia Goffetti², Elena Neri³, Nicoletta Patrizi², Anna Ruini⁴, Fabio Sporchia⁴, Federico M Pulselli²

Affiliations

¹ Ecodynamics Group, Department of Physical Sciences, Earth, Environment, University of Siena, Piazzetta Enzo Tiezzi, 1, 53100 Siena, Italy. Electronic address: bastianoni@unisi.it.
² Ecodynamics Group, Department of Physical Sciences, Earth, Environment, University of Siena, Piazzetta Enzo Tiezzi, 1, 53100 Siena, Italy.
³ Ecodynamics Group, Department of Physical Sciences, Earth, Environment, University of Siena, Piazzetta Enzo Tiezzi, 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; Indaco2 srl, via Roma 21B int.3, 53034 Colle Val d'Elsa, SI, Italy.
⁴ Ecodynamics Group, Department of Physical Sciences, Earth, Environment, University of Siena, Piazzetta Enzo Tiezzi, 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; Department of Science, Technology and Society, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS Pavia, Pavia, Italy.

PMID: 37394073
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165245

Abstract

Many are the definitions of Circular Economy as well as the policies and strategies for its implementation. However, gaps still exist in quantifying the effects of circularity. The existing approaches are usually sector- or product-specific, limited to microscale systems, and/or fail to simultaneously assess the environmental impacts of the studied system. This paper introduces a generally applicable method in which a set of LCA-based indices of circularity are able to detect the effects of circularity/symbiosis strategies on the environmental performance of meso- and macro-systems. These indices quantify the overall system's circularity level by comparing the impacts of a system in which the components interact with each other (with a certain level of circularity) with an equivalent linear system (where no circularity takes place). The method works both on existing and projected systems, being able to track the effects of future circularity policies. This method obviates the limitations and the gaps mentioned above: it applies to meso- and macro-systems, it is not bound to a specific sector, it allows to capture the environmental impacts, and it is sensitive to the temporal dimension. This approach provides a tool to inform managers and policymakers for planning circularity actions and monitor their effectiveness while also capturing the temporal dimension.

Keywords: Circularity assessment; Life Cycle Assessment; Macro scale; Meso scale; Monitoring framework; Systems approach.