Circularity Assessment: Macro to Nano: Accountability Towards Sustainability

This open access book attempts to provide a perspective on the circularity assessment at different levels of the systemic hierarchy and advocates better resource management for a sustainable future. It demonstrates how relevant circularity indicators are used for quantifying the extent of circularity of each level. Illustrative case studies that discuss the process of quantitatively interpreting progress towards circularity are provided. This work caters to a broad readership inclusive of governance, basic research, engineering, and business stakeholders. The conclusion signifies the role of consumer community in achieving circularity.

Dr. PATRIZIA GHISELLINI is a post-doctoral researcher affiliated with the Department of Engineering at the University of Naples, Parthenope. She graduated in Economics of Public Administrations and International Institutions and further specialized at the academic level in the topics related to the sustainable development and management of environmental systems and life cycle assessment methods at the National Agency for the New Technologies, Energy and Environment. She received her Ph.D. in Agricultural and Food Economics and Policy from the Alma Mater Studiorum at the University of Bologna. Currently, she is at the University of Naples, Parthenope, pursuing many projects on the circular economy funded by the European Union and the Local Italian Public Administrations. She has published several articles on the circular economy in reputed international journals. Recently she received a publication-related prestigious recognition through an interview with one of the top journals in sustainability and circular economy topics. Besides the circular economy, her research interests include sustainable development, sustainable energy, urban forestry, and life cycle sustainability methods. 

Mr. SVEN KEVIN VAN LANGEN is a Ph.D. Candidate(ABD) with the UNESCO Chair in “Environment, Resources and Sustainable Development”, Department of Science and Technology, Parthenope University of Naples, Naples, Italy, and affiliated with Olympia Electronics, Greece for the PhD research work. Previously, he worked as an Analyst at Accenture, in The Netherlands and The Philippines. His current research focuses on the transition to a Circular Economy (CE), specifically for the topic of economic resilience. Kevin's research is funded by the Horizon 2020 – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network (H2020 MSCA-ITN) project - Realising the Transition to the Circular Economy (ReTraCE). He is interested in new business models and regulations to realize the Circular Economy for the EEE industry, with a focus on supporting Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs). His motivation for future research is to study public policy that will guide the market towards more sustainable practices through international cooperation.  Kevin is currently doing a fellowship with the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, in Tokyo, Japan, to write a policy paper towards this purpose.

Professor SEERAM RAMAKRISHNA, FREng, Everest Chair is the most impactful author in Engineering at the National University of Singapore, NUS, Singapore.  Currently, he is the Director of Center for Nanotechnology & Sustainability and the Circular Economy Taskforce Chair. He is a member of the Extended Producer Responsibility Advisory Committee of the National Environment Agency (NEA), Ministry of Sustainability and Environment (MSE), Singapore. He is a member of the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Committee of the Singapore Institute of Directors. He is a member of ISO/TC323 Circular Economy and Singapore Standard Council TC on the circularity of materials. He chairs the Sustainable Manufacturing TC at the Institution of Engineers,Singapore (IES). He is a member of the Beverage Containers Return Scheme Stakeholder Group hosted by the National Environment Agency, Singapore. His book on Circular Economy received the 2021 Springer Nature China New Development Award. European Commission Director-General for Environment, Excellency Daniel Calleja Crespo said “Professor Seeram Ramakrishna should be praised for his personal engagement leading the reflections on how to develop a more sustainable future for all”. He co-authored a book ‘Sustainability for Beginners’. He is a member of the UNESCO’s Global Independent Expert Group on Universities and the 2030 Agenda. He also advises the World Bank. He has been honored with the Excellent Presentation Award by the ICWMT (International Conference on Waste Management and Technology) 2021 initiated by the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific and UNEP. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Springer NATURE Journal Materials Circular Economy - Sustainability . He is an opinion contributor to the Springer Nature Sustainability Community. His Google Scholar shows 2,000 articles with over 133,000 citations, i10-index of 1121, and H-index of 166. He is named among the World’s Most Influential Minds (Thomson Reuters), and World’s Highly Cited Researchers (Clarivate Analytics). He is a Board Member of Plastics Recycling Association of Singapore, PRAS, and the Chairman of Plastics Recycling Center of Excellence, PRCOE. He is an elected Fellow of the UK Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng), AAET, Singapore Academy of Engineering, and the Indian National Academy of Engineering. He received Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, UK; & the GMP from Harvard University, USA.