Categorisation System for the Circular Economy

The lack of a commonly accepted and sufficiently inclusive definition and circularity measurement methodology hampers the transition to a more circular economy in numerous ways.  To counter this, this circular economy categorization system was proposed comprising 14 circular categories organized in four high-level groups and a set of minimum criteria.  The 14 circular categories contribute to increasing resource efficiency and decreasing environmental impacts throughout project value chains.  This can be achieved by applying or enabling one or more of the 9 circular economy "R" strategies or principles – the “9 R’s”: Refuse, Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture, Repurpose, and Recycle.