Developing an efficiency evaluation model for the circular economy in Europe

ABSTRACT

The aim of this work is to develop a model for evaluating the efficiency of the Circular Economy (CE) in Europe. In this context, we have developed a dynamic efficiency model of the CE, the Dynamic Network Data Envelopment Analysis (DNDEA) model (Tone and Tsutsui 2014), with the purpose of it being utilized to determine the degree of progress of the policies on the CE, the degree of compliance with those policies, as well as to determine the factors that are associated with a greater or lesser efficiency. The results obtained indicate that the factors which have most affected the dynamic inefficiency have been: the Imports from the EU countries, the Exports to the non-EU countries, and the Gross Value Added. The patents that are related to Waste Management, Recycling, and Persons Employed in the CE sector have been the factors that have added the greatest efficiency. The contribution of this work lies in the development of a new model for the measurement of the dynamic efficiency of the CE at the macroeconomic level in Europe, while considering the relationships between the results and the resources that are allocated to the CE, and establishing a period of implementation and execution.

KEYWORDS:

• Circular economy (CE)
• dynamic network DEA
• Malmquist productivity index
• efficiency
• European Union

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/explore/all/tb_eu?lang=en&subtheme=cei&display=list&sort=category&extractionId=CEI_PC010

Additional information

Funding

Title research project: ‘Gobierno corporativo sostenible: La riqueza socioemocional y productividad de la empresa familiar’. Researcher in Charge: Gloria Cuevas-Rodriguez. MINISTERIO DE CIENCIA E INNOVACIÓN. Proyectos de Generación de Conocimiento, Convocatoria 2021. (Ref. PID2021-128420OB-I00); Total amount: 106.722,00 €.

Period:01/09/2022-01/09/2026.

Title research project: ‘La digitalización como motor clave de la internacionalización en gobiernos corporativos sostenibles’. Researcher in charge 1: Gloria Cuevas-Rodríguez. Researcher in charge 2: Leticia Perez-Calero. Consejería de Universidad, Investigación e Innovación (Junta de Andalucia, PAIDI convocatoria 2021). Ref. ‘ProyExcel_00934’. Total amount: 63.664,00 €.

Period:21/10/2022-31/12/2024.

Title research project: ‘Circular Economy and Efficiency: Towards new economic models’. Researcher in charge: Teresa García-Valderrama. Consejería de Universidad, Investigación e Innovación (Junta de Andalucia, PAIDI convocatoria 2018). Ref. FEDER-UCA18-103353.