Waste circularity effort indicator: A new metric for evaluating waste stream management beyond recycling rates

Circular economy in waste management is commonly assessed using outcome-based indicators such as recycling rates, which provide limited insight into the systemic processes enabling material circulation. These metrics rarely reflect the technological, logistical and organisational effort required to achieve recovery. This study introduces the Waste Circularity Effort Indicator, a composite metric capturing the structural and operational effort needed to maintain materials within circular pathways. It integrates multi-stage treatment, secondary waste streams, cross-border flows and spatial–logistical supply chain complexity within a unified framework based on standardised monitoring data. The methodology is applied to municipal and construction and demolition waste in the Czech Republic and compared with conventional recovery indicators. Results show that high recycling rates do not necessarily imply high systemic effort. By focusing on enabling processes rather than outcomes alone, the Waste Circularity Effort Indicator complements existing metrics and supports more informed circular economy policy and infrastructure planning.