Advancing circular bioeconomy: A critical review and assessment of indicators

Abstract

The concept of the circular bioeconomy is fundamental in merging the circular economy and bioeconomy principles to advance sustainable resource management and economic growth. This concept addresses critical global challenges, including climate change and resource depletion, aligning with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Despite its potential, the application of circular bioeconomy in bio-based products faces obstacles, notably the absence of comprehensive frameworks and an understanding of relevant indicators. This study aims to fill these gaps by analyzing circular bioeconomy indicators through a systematic literature review, followed by an evaluation based on criteria such as alignment with circular economy principles, quantitative precision, the scope of application, ease of data collection, integration with sustainability goals, holistic lifecycle view, adaptability to different end-of-life strategies, multidimensionality, scalability, ease of interpretation and, integration with other tools. The main findings reveal the significant impact of these indicators on sustainable and circular production patterns, detailing their benefits, limitations, and integration into broader sustainability strategies. This study proposes categorizing these indicators to help stakeholders in circular bioeconomy projects and outlines a future research agenda focused on enhancing the application of circular bioeconomy indicators across diverse contexts and life cycle stages. This work underscores the need to select tailored sustainability indicators and combine them to generate a specific set of indicators to foster a more integrated approach to sustainability assessment.