3s3: Defining circular economy principles and indicators for biobased products

Authors

I. Vural-Gürsel
B. Elbersen
K. Meesters
H. J. van der Fels-Klerx
C. Lui
M. van Leeuwen
W. Elbersen

Keywords:

biobased products, circularity indicators, cascading use, resource use efficiency, recycling

Abstract

There is an urgent need to take measures to decouple economic growth from resource use, increase resource efficiency and stimulate a more sustainable production and consumption system. The increase in use of biomass as a renewable resource for bioeconomy should also go together with a more circular use of biomass. To be able to monitor this transition we need circularity indicators for biobased products. This will be crucial for providing science-based evidence to formulate business strategies and for policy decision making on the most optimal use of biomass. Circular economy metrics are yet at the initial stage of development and have a focus on abiotic resources. The considerations made so far for biotic resources are mostly limited to food loss, renewable energy use and recycling of biowaste.