# Resources: Metrics and measures
*Activity type: page*

Once progress has been made, it’s worth finding ways to measure and document the extent of that progress. The relative immaturity of circularity means that Australia does not have a nationally agreed-upon way to do so yet, but there are some relevant things to consider. Your use of materials that are reused, recycled or renewable is a good place to start measuring progress.

Similarly, when you select an approach from the Circularity Deck, consider what it is you’re targeting, and how you could measure progress. For example, if you intend to use the Narrow approach and increase the use-intensity of your products, how can you measure that use-intensity? Or if you want to use the Close approach and source from local suppliers only, how can you keep track of what is sourced locally versus externally? As with making *circular-ish* progress, measuring that progress can start with small steps.

Once you’re ready to dive into the topic of indicators in more detail, consider that measuring circularity can be done in two distinct ways, each of which has relevance for a different type of business or organisation: 

##### Material circularity assessment

Most relevant for businesses involved in the production or sale of physical materials or products, this approach is about analysing the resources coming in and determining what percentage of them is reused, recycled or renewable. Likewise, the resources going out can be analysed to see what percentage goes on to be reused, recycled or renewed. Expand this to include energy and water, and you’ve got a good sense of how circular your business really is.

This way of measuring circularity has a lot in common with doing a **Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)** or **Material Flow Analysis (MFA)**. You’ll find guidance on this way of measuring circularity in resources such as these:

- World Building Council of Sustainable Development’s href="https://www.wbcsd.org/resources/circular-transition-indicators-v4/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" (https://www.wbcsd.org/resources/circular-transition-indicators-v4/), offering a framework and metrics for businesses to report on their progress.

- href="https://www.iso.org/standard/80650.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" (https://www.iso.org/standard/80650.html)

- href="https://www.bcg.com/capabilities/climate-change-sustainability/circular-economy-circelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener" (https://www.bcg.com/capabilities/climate-change-sustainability/circular-economy-circelligence) by the Boston Consulting Group, offering an end-to-end assessment platform and service.

- href="https://research.csiro.au/circulareconomy/material-flow-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" (https://research.csiro.au/circulareconomy/material-flow-report/), detailing how Australia uses materials.

- href="https://www.ri.se/en/what-we-do/projects/measuring-circular-business-models" target="_blank" rel="noopener" (https://www.ri.se/en/what-we-do/projects/measuring-circular-business-models), detailing a project undertaken by Sweden’s research institute RISE on how to measure circularity.

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##### Circularity transition assessment

More relevant for service-oriented businesses and government organisations, this approach is focused on measuring the transition of our economy towards circularity. It is less concerned with the exact level of circularity of a business, and instead looks at leading indicators on awareness, collaboration, business model adoption, and other measures that can give us a sense of how the circular transition is tracking.

Methods and resources are less prevalent than for a material circularity assessment, but consider exploring some of these resources to learn more:

- Circle Economy’s href="https://assets.website-files.com/5d26d80e8836af2d12ed1269/5faa4d272e1a82a1d9126772_20201029%20-%20BCG%20Metrics%20-%20White%20Papers%20-%20The%20Landscape%20-%20210_x_297_mm%20-%20bleed_3_mm.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener" (https://assets.website-files.com/5d26d80e8836af2d12ed1269/5faa4d272e1a82a1d9126772_20201029%20-%20BCG%20Metrics%20-%20White%20Papers%20-%20The%20Landscape%20-%20210_x_297_mm%20-%20bleed_3_mm.pdf), providing an overview of various other circular metrics and when they are relevant.

- href="https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/monitoring-progress-towards-a-resource-efficient-and-circular-economy_3b644b83-en.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" (https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/monitoring-progress-towards-a-resource-efficient-and-circular-economy_3b644b83-en.html), developed by the OECD, offers indicators that look at not only material lifecycles, but also interactions with the environment, the impact of our responses, and socio-economic opportunities.

- The href="https://pacecircular.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/CircularIndicatorsForGovernments_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener" (https://pacecircular.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/CircularIndicatorsForGovernments_FINAL.pdf), by the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy goes into more detail by providing guidance on how to develop metrics and how they are connected to impact.

- The href="https://australiancircularbenchmarks.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" (https://australiancircularbenchmarks.org/), by Circular Australia. This dataset offers a look at how Australia is progressing, nationally, towards a circular economy.

- Thehref="https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/research-data-and-insights/research/state-of-sustainability-report-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener" (https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/research-data-and-insights/research/state-of-sustainability-report-2023), by Sustainability Victoria. This research report keeps track of the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours of Victorians towards sustainability.

Recommended for those who are quite advanced in their circular journey, the **International Organization for Standardization (ISO)** released a series of href="https://www.iso.org/sectors/environment/circular-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener" (https://www.iso.org/sectors/environment/circular-economy) in 2024. ISO standards represent the internationally agreed-upon best ways of doing certain things. Categorised under the ISO 59000-series of standards, you will find three published standards related to circularity, and multiple technical reviews and assessments currently under development. These standards can only be accessed for a fee, but include the following information: 

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ISO 59004 discusses the vocabulary, principles and guidance for implementation for a circular economy. This is the main document the other standards refer back to, and provides an overview of what type of actions can contribute to a circular economy. The actions align with the five approaches of the Circularity Deck, and this document is well-suited for organisations starting out with circularity. 

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ISO 59010 provides more detailed guidance on what an organisation can consider to transition to a circular way of doing business. This includes goal setting, developing a circular strategy, and transitioning a business model to circularity. This document would be relevant for businesses exploring the next step towards circularity. 

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ISO 59020 goes into the data that should be collected and assessed to measure an organisation’s progress towards a circular economy. If offers a framework for doing so and includes guidance on assessment and reporting. This standard is recommended for organisations well underway in their transition to circularity.
