Building a Product-level Bio-based Circularity Monitoring Framework
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55845/jos-2026-2190Keywords:
Circular Bioeconomy, Indicators, Fertilisers, Packaging, TextilesAbstract
Despite the proliferation of circular economy (CE) indicators and the lack of harmonised measurement conventions, bio-based industries still lack tailored, product-level metrics to guide their circular transition. Three sectors are particularly relevant due to their environmental impacts: fertilisers, packaging, and textiles. This article builds upon indicator mappings by critically assessing how existing indicators account for relevant CE principles and activities, and by developing complementary indicators to address identified gaps. The goal is to propose a product-level circularity monitoring and benchmarking framework tailored for bio-based fertilisers, packaging, and textiles. Following the design research method, existing metrics were characterised, those covering the largest number of CE practices were selected, and complementary indicators were developed to extend the information provided by the original metrics. The framework bridges recurring gaps by incorporating the ratio of biodegradable or compostable materials used in manufacturing, the consumption of virgin materials in packaging manufacturing and textile fibre treatment, and the speed of fertiliser nutrient release. The proposed framework was ultimately feasibility-tested through sectoral applications and industry engagement, demonstrating data availability for computation, interpretive usefulness, and managerial relevance for eco-innovative firms under the tested conditions. Results should be interpreted as comparative screening and monitoring outputs, rather than certification-like estimates.
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All data used for the manuscript are contained in it. The calculation methodologies for the four existing metrics selected are included in the supplementary material.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Hasler Iglesias, Ana Paredes Ortiz, Francisca Sánchez-Liarte, David Fernández-Gutiérrez, Andrés J. Lara-Guillén
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Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation
Grant numbers 101112457
Accepted 02-03-2026
Published 13-03-2026
