Methods and tools to measure sustainability and circular economy (CE) at the company level

This thesis investigates company-level assessment of circular economy (CE) and sustainability, addressing three key research gaps: (1) the lack of consensus on the methodological approach to CE assessment, (2) unclarity on how companies are currently assessing their CE strategies, and (3) the lack of considering company needs in designing assessment approaches. The paper-based thesis used a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to establish answers to these questions; methods include a systematic literature review, a comparative analysis, a survey approach, interviews, and the design and validation of a CE assessment framework called SCEIA. Key conclusions are that CE assessment is a dynamic process; that Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) can be considered a valuable method for assessing the environmental impacts of CE strategies; and that companies currently make use most often of (1) tailormade assessment approaches and (2) LCA.