Linking circularity metrics at product and society level (LinCS) : Final report

The LinCS research project aimed to generate knowledge and understanding on the environmental and financial implications of circular products and circular economy at micro and macro level. It also sought to consider and review potential rebound effects. While circular economy is promoted as a promising solution that will decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, empirical evidence and academic research on the sustainability of circular economy and circular business models is in an embryonic form. Hence, the following research questions were posed: What factors/variables impact the environmental performance of circular products/circular business models? Under what circumstances/conditions are circular products/circular business models environmentally and economically preferred compared to linear ones? How can circular business models be improved in order to be sustainable? What are suitable indicators to monitor the environmental effects of CE at the micro and macro level? Which policies need to be introduced/altered that prevent/reduce the proliferation of unsustainable CE and support sustainable CE products? The research started with an extensive systematic literature review that mapped current knowledge and knowledge gaps on the environmental impact of circular products and circular business models. Despite the large interest of researchers on circular economy, the review only identified 54 papers that quantified the environmental impact of a circular versus linear product or system. Many of these papers focused on the environmental impact of the reuse or remanufacturing process but did not include key aspects of circular economy such as product design specific to the circular economy, or circular business models. Hence, there is a clear need for more research on the environmental impact. Based on the review, several product characteristics can be distilled that have a strong role in determining whether a product is suitable for the circular eco