Circularity Metrics Lab – Tracking Circularity in Europe
Published on 1 January 2025
Publication
The Circularity Metrics Lab (CML), an initiative by the European Environment Agency, provides indicators to assess progress toward a circular economy in Europe. It leverages multiple datasets and categorizes its metrics into four areas: enabling framework, businesses, consumption, and materials & waste management.
The Circularity Metrics Lab (CML) is a tool developed by the European Environment Agency (EEA) to monitor and evaluate the transition toward a circular economy in Europe. The initiative relies on the analysis of European datasets, national statistics, and surveys, providing insights into resource use, waste management, and secondary raw materials.
The CML’s approach is structured around four main categories of metrics:
The enabling framework: policies and regulations influencing circularity.
Businesses: adoption of circular business models and industrial innovations.
Consumption: household and organizational behavior in product use.
Materials & waste: material flows, recycling rates, and waste valorization.
Beyond these core categories, the CML also features thematic modules focusing on key topics like plastics or product lifespans, offering in-depth analysis of sectors with significant environmental impacts.
The main goal of the Circularity Metrics Lab is to prevent unsustainable resource depletion by optimizing product and material use, and by maximizing recycling and reuse across industrial sectors. By providing data-driven insights, it supports policymakers and businesses in implementing effective circular strategies.
Through its indicators, the CML actively contributes to the European Green Deal, offering essential measurement tools to track progress and identify remaining challenges. The detailed metric analysis also enables comparisons between European countries and promotes best practice sharing.