Advancing circularity metrics : revisiting the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Material Circularity Indicator
Figueirinhas, Diogo LU ; Vakulenko, Yulia LU ; Pålsson, Henrik LU
and Hellström, Daniel
LU
(2025)
In Resources, Conservation and Recycling
226.
- Abstract
- Circularity metrics simplify complex systems, and trade-offs between simplicity, scope, and usability introduce unavoidable limitations. We revisit the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) to identify opportunities for a more accurate, comprehensive, reliable measure of circularity. Although widely used and highly regarded, the MCI exhibits limitations and methodological weaknesses. Specifically, it adopts problematic modeling choices, including a single-cycle view that overlooks nonlinear, multi-cycle retention benefits, an oversimplified 50:50 waste-allocation rule, and insufficient differentiation between internal and external recycling streams. We propose a readily implementable correction to the 50:50 rule... (More)
- Circularity metrics simplify complex systems, and trade-offs between simplicity, scope, and usability introduce unavoidable limitations. We revisit the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) to identify opportunities for a more accurate, comprehensive, reliable measure of circularity. Although widely used and highly regarded, the MCI exhibits limitations and methodological weaknesses. Specifically, it adopts problematic modeling choices, including a single-cycle view that overlooks nonlinear, multi-cycle retention benefits, an oversimplified 50:50 waste-allocation rule, and insufficient differentiation between internal and external recycling streams. We propose a readily implementable correction to the 50:50 rule and show that its errors can exceed 2000%. In addition, we note broader limitations of the MCI, including insensitivity to energy requirements, infrastructure and equipment burdens, material quality degradation, and its limited alignment with wider economic and environmental impacts. Building on these findings, we outline desiderata to guide the development of more accurate, comprehensive, and reliable circularity indicators. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/36f91afc-1a8d-4547-8222-09740e7cccda
- author
- Figueirinhas, Diogo
LU
; Vakulenko, Yulia
LU
; Pålsson, Henrik
LU
and Hellström, Daniel
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-11-13
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Resources, Conservation and Recycling
- volume
- 226
- article number
- 108682
- pages
- 12 pages
- publisher
- Elsevier
- ISSN
- 0921-3449
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108682
- project
- Circular retailing: packaging, stores, digital product passes as enablers of the circular economy
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 36f91afc-1a8d-4547-8222-09740e7cccda
- date added to LUP
- 2025-11-17 08:38:47
- date last changed
- 2025-12-04 10:06:03
@article{36f91afc-1a8d-4547-8222-09740e7cccda,
abstract = {{Circularity metrics simplify complex systems, and trade-offs between simplicity, scope, and usability introduce unavoidable limitations. We revisit the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) to identify opportunities for a more accurate, comprehensive, reliable measure of circularity. Although widely used and highly regarded, the MCI exhibits limitations and methodological weaknesses. Specifically, it adopts problematic modeling choices, including a single-cycle view that overlooks nonlinear, multi-cycle retention benefits, an oversimplified 50:50 waste-allocation rule, and insufficient differentiation between internal and external recycling streams. We propose a readily implementable correction to the 50:50 rule and show that its errors can exceed 2000%. In addition, we note broader limitations of the MCI, including insensitivity to energy requirements, infrastructure and equipment burdens, material quality degradation, and its limited alignment with wider economic and environmental impacts. Building on these findings, we outline desiderata to guide the development of more accurate, comprehensive, and reliable circularity indicators.}},
author = {{Figueirinhas, Diogo and Vakulenko, Yulia and Pålsson, Henrik and Hellström, Daniel}},
issn = {{0921-3449}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{11}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Resources, Conservation and Recycling}},
title = {{Advancing circularity metrics : revisiting the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Material Circularity Indicator}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108682}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108682}},
volume = {{226}},
year = {{2025}},
}