About the tool

The Procedure for Evaluation of Feasibility and Viability should be used to evaluate possible recirculation strategies, with respect to requirements for implementation in the current context.  There are five evaluation criteria for the choice of recirculation strategy: feasibility; viability; organisation & network; legal & compliance; and sustainability.


How to apply the tool?

The order of these criteria (from feasibility through sustainability) implies an order of application, but not necessarily of importance. For an effective application of the evaluation to various cases, it is therefore recommended to work from the inside-out. The workbook provides addition description of each of the criteria.

Step 1: Feasibility
Start by evaluating the feasibility of the recirculation strategy. Feasibility addresses the potential of a recirculation strategy to be implemented in practice, based on the technical properties of a product, part or material and based on the performance and capacity of treatment processes.

Step 2: Viability
Evaluate the viability of the recirculation strategy. Viability addresses the necessary effort to implement a recirculation strategy that is technically feasible.

Step 3: Organisation & network
Evaluate the Organisation & network for the recirculation strategy. This criteria addresses whether there are any particular partners and networks needed to implement recirculation.

Step 4: Legal & compliance
Evaluate Legal & compliance aspects. These needs to be evaluated thoroughly and can be related to specific cases. For sectors where safety critical functions have to be provided, recirculation of products and parts may be restricted, for example if the product contains chemicals that have become restricted subsequent to the product’s initial release onto the market.

Step 5: Sustainability
Evaluate the contribution to sustainability. Sustainability is the ultimate goal for all recirculation processes. The outer-most ring in the evaluation model relates to the potential contribution of a recirculation strategy to sustainability, understood from a triple bottom line (social, environmental, economic) perspective.


When to apply the tool?

The Procedure for Evaluation of Feasibility and Viability should be used in the evaluation phase to evaluate recirculation strategies.

The Procedure for Evaluation of Feasibility and Viability is one of the tools presented in the CIRCit project to support Closing the Loop for a Circular Economy. To assess sustainability footprint of the chosen strategy, we suggest you take a look at the focus area, Circular Economy Sustainability Screening.

Read more about the results of this focus area, explore other tools which can help in Closing the Loop for a Circular Economy and download the inspiring workbook here.

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