Evaluating the Circularity of Manufactured Products: Proposition of a Unified Index Based on Existing Indicators

The issue of waste in oceans has become a major global concern since the 1970s. As a result, there has been an increased focus on addressing its environmental and economic impact. In this context, a circularity index has been proposed to evaluate the effectiveness of reuse strategies for manufactured products, with a specific emphasis on plastic materials. To develop this index, a comprehensive literature review was conducted, which identified 11 microlevel indicators related to circularity. These indicators were analyzed against six crucial criteria outlined by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Based on this analysis, a theoretical circularity index was created by combining three indicators that cover all the essential criteria, namely energy, lifespan, and reuse. To illustrate the application of the proposed index in the real world, the article presents an example of a plastic industrial pallet, highlighting areas for improvement in achieving greater circularity in product lifecycles. The main implication is that now managers and practitioners of manufacturing industries can measure their impact on essential circular issues with a single metric.