Why ‘Circular’ Doesn’t Always Mean ‘Sustainable’

Material circularity (MC) develops positively when a material is circulated through reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, or recycling at its highest quality, it usually being measured through material flow analysis (MFA).  When economic value is generated as commonly measured through life cycle costing (LCC), economic sustainability (EconSus) is positive.  Environmental sustainability (EnvSus) develops positively as the environment suffers less through product systems, using life cycle assessment (LCA) for assessing their life-cycle environmental impacts.  Social sustainability (SocSus) develops positively if social conditions improve for all people, which is tricky to measure.  Where circularity space and sustainability space overlap, a Sustainable Circular Economy (SCE) occurs.