# A taxonomy of circular economy indicators

**Authors:** Michael Saidani, Bernard Yannou, Yann Leroy, François Cluzel, Alissa Kendall  
**arXiv:** [1901.02709](https://arxiv.org/abs/1901.02709)  
**Date:** 2018-12-29  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/arxiv-id/1901.02709v1/

## Key points

- Implementing circular economy (CE) principles is crucial for sustainable development goals
- There is a growing need for tools to support the transition towards CE practices and monitor their effects
- Circular economy indicators (C-indicators) have been developed to fulfill this need
- Lack of a single definition of the CE concept makes it important to understand what these indicators measure
- A systematic literature review identified 55 sets of C-indicators developed by scholars, consulting companies, and governmental agencies
- These indicators serve different purposes, have varying scopes, and can be used in different ways
- Authors propose a classification system for C-indicators that aims to assess, improve, monitor, and communicate the performance of CE practices.

## Summary

Implementing circular economy (CE) principles is increasingly recognized as a crucial approach to achieving sustainable development goals. To support the transition towards more CE practices and monitor their effects, there is a growing need for tools that can assist practitioners, decision-makers, and policy-makers. Circular economy indicators (C-indicators) have been developed in recent years to fulfill this need. However, due to the lack of a single definition of the CE concept, it is essential to understand what these indicators measure in order to use them effectively. This study conducted a systematic literature review, considering both academic and grey literature, to identify 55 sets of C-indicators developed by scholars, consulting companies, and governmental agencies. These indicators serve different purposes, have varying scopes, and can be used in different ways. Inspired by existing taxonomies of eco-design tools and sustainability indicators, the authors propose a classification system for C-indicators that aims to assess, improve, monitor, and communicate the performance of CE practices.