An application of the UNI/TS 11820:2022 on the measurement of circularity in an electronic equipment manufacturing organization in Italy

Data acquisition to measure circularity in processes and organizations represents a challenge, due to non-homogeneous quantification methods and different definitions related to resources consumption and waste generation. Furthermore, data interpretation has long been irreconcilable due to the absence of harmonized indicators for the measurement of circularity of processes and organizations. The UNI/TS 11820:2022 has developed (and standardized) for the first time a set of 71 indicators for the circular economy, which allows the assessment of the circularity levels in a replicable and comparable manner. The present research, after an in-depth analysis of the novel technical specification UNI/TS 11820:2022 on “Measurement of Circularity – Methods and Indicators for Measuring Circular Processes in Organizations”, measures the level of circularity in an electrical equipment manufacturing organization in Southern Italy. The purpose is to test the handiness of the UNI/TS 11820:2022, improve the knowledge about the technical standard and highlight its strengths and weaknesses from the managerial, theoretical and public authorities’ perspective. The UNI/TS 11820:2022 represents an essential tool to verify the effectiveness of circularity strategies at the micro (single organization) level, but it appears still complex to be applied among organizations, which do not rely on environmental and material accounting systems. Several efforts are required by academia and companies to increase the application of the standard in various NACE sectors. Moreover, although the standard aims at bridging theoretical and practical gaps towards a harmonized set of measurement tools, still some indicators seem to miss, and public authorities and universities should promote basic and advanced education in the field of circular economy measurement.