CIRCULARIS · Circularity Indicators and Resource Circularity for Food Services

Despite the efforts that have been made by the European Grean Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan, the industry of food service still remains unequipped towards a circular economy duet to the lack of harmonized sustainable indicators. Current literature review and frameworks remain generic towards the field of circular economy in this field. Therefore, CIRCULARIS proposes the development of a harmonised micro-level indicator framework specifically designed for the food service sector. By integrating perspectives from systems science, data ethics, digital innovation, and behavioural studies, the framework will enable both businesses and regulators to assess, compare, and govern CE performance more effectively. Key innovations will include: a) Digital Product Passports to enable real-time data sharing and traceability across the food value chain, in line with the EU Digital Product Passport initiative under the Sustainable Products Regulation, b) AI-powered monitoring tools to automate data collection, reduce administrative burden, and improve decision-making for food waste reduction, food packaging disposal management (recycling/reuse), resource use, and circular procurement, c) Behavioural and consumer-facing indicators that account for the human dimension of circularity, essential for demand-side interventions and aligned with the European Climate Pact 's objectives on citizen engagement.