Circular Economy Assessment – Dalia Streimikiene

Contribution to SDGs textiles, electronics, batteries, vehicles, buildings, and other sectors, the EU is laying the foundation for a sustainable, resource-effcient economy that reduces environmental harm and drives economic growth. Plastics are among the most pressing environmental challenges, with vast amounts of plastic waste ending up in landflls, oceans, and natural ecosystems. The EU has placed signifcant emphasis on addressing plastic waste and advancing circularity within the packaging sector.

A key aspect of this transition involves the development and deployment of innovative recycling technologies, such as chemical recycling, which facilitates the breakdown of plastic waste into its fundamen- tal monomers, enabling their reintegration into production processes. In parallel, businesses are increasingly encouraged to adopt reusable and refllable packaging solutions, shifting away from Circular Economy Assessment single-use plastics.

EPR schemes serve as a critical regulatory mechanism, ensuring that produc- ers assume responsibility for the entire lifecycle of packaging materials, thereby incentivizing the design of more sustainable and recyclable products. Consumer engagement is also integral to these efforts, with deposit-return systems and targeted awareness campaigns playing a vital role in foster- ing behavioural change, increasing recycling rates, and promoting more responsible consumption patterns. The EU has established a comprehensive regulatory framework to enhance plastic circularity and mitigate its environmental impacts.

Key legislative measures, including the EU Plastics Strategy (European Commission, 2018a), the Single-Use Plastics Directive (The European Parliament and the Council, 2019), the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (The European Parliament and the Council, 2018), and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (The European Parliament and the Council, 2025), introduce targeted actions to improve recyclability, minimize plastic waste, and combat marine pollution. These policies emphasize eco-design principles, EPR schemes, and outright bans on problematic plastic products to drive systemic change.

The transition towards sustainable plastic use plays a critical role in advancing global sustainability goals, particularly SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 13 (Climate Action), by reducing plastic pollution, lowering resource consumption, and restraining reliance on fossil-based plastic production. However, despite notable advancements, several persistent challenges continue to impede the full transition towards plastic circularity in the EU.

This book provides theoretical foundations for circular economy concepts, principles, and models while analysing their applications across agriculture, industry, and energy sectors. It systematically evaluates measurement frameworks and indicators that track circular economy progress among countries, with particular focus on EU member states. The authors develop and test indicator frame- works through case studies that reveal patterns of progress, convergence, or divergence in circu- lar economy implementation. By examining policies that promote circular economic development, the book identifes the best practices for EU nations and gives recommendations based on tested frameworks.

Features: • Provides comprehensive analysis of the theoretical and practical implementation of circu- lar economy principles in agriculture, energy, and other industries. • Discusses the frameworks for the assessment of circular economy developments based on practical, tested applications. • Presents policies and measures to promote circular economy development which are exam- ined, critically assessed, and systematized. • Provides policy recommendations to promote circular economy development in EU coun- tries based on the results of practical applications of circular economy frameworks.

• Includes case studies on the assessment of circular economy development, convergence, clustering, and ranking of EU countries. Circular Economy Assessment: Indicators and Applications is for academics, researchers, students, professionals, entrepreneurs, and policymakers interested in sustainability. Circular Economy Assessment Indicators and Applications Edited by Dalia Streimikiene Designed cover image: © iStock First edition published 2026 by CRC Press 2385 NW Executive Center Drive, Suite 320, Boca Raton FL 33431 and by CRC Press 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, LLC © 2026 selection and editorial matter, Dalia Streimikiene; individual chapters, the contributors Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use.

The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may rectify in any future reprint. Except as permitted under U.S.

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Book Information

• Unique ID: 8d414ce4c85a59c1
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 35,042,643 bytes (33.419 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• ISBN: 9781041216957, 9781041216964, 9781003728542, 1120181178
• Pages: 442
• Language: English (en)

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