Performance Evaluation of Circular Economy Practices: A Literature Review

Abstract

Objective: This paper aims to map the characteristics of the international scientific literature that address the fragment of literature related to the performance measurement of the circular economy (CE) practices inserted in the companies. Theoretical Framework The bibliographic portfolio defines the characteristics of literature regarding circular economy practices and how they can be evaluated. Method: We analyzed the basic and advanced variables based on the 54 papers from the bibliographic portfolio selected by the research instrument ProKnow-C. Results and Discussion: We then identified that: i) there is no collaboration network between authors on the subject since it is an emergent research field; ii) the origin of the authors who research the most about the subject is the United Kingdom (UK) and the highlighted institution is the brazilian University of São Paulo (USP); iii) the (internal) organizational issues act as the main driver and as a barrier at the same time, considering the complexity to insert CE in a holistic and non-fragmented manner within the organization. Research Implications: The results provide practical contributions in guiding organizations with key mechanisms that can be used to evaluate circular economy practices. Originality/Value: The obtained results hold significant value for the academic community by identifying gaps in the assessment of circular economy performance. These findings pave the way for proposing advancements in circular economy practices, thus contributing to the progression of the field.