Evaluating sustainability through the lens of circular business models

Circular business models are seen by many as an attractive way for companies to develop new business opportunities, while simultaneously addressing growing social and environmental challenges beyond traditional Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes. The development of such business models requires continuous testing and evaluation, which contrasts with the largely linear and intervention-focused tradition of mainstream programme evaluation. This chapter provides an introduction to the circular business model literature with the aim to explore novel approaches to evaluate sustainability. Existing evaluation approaches that deal with systems, complexity and learning come out as highly relevant. In addition, the chapter concludes that the evaluation of sustainability could be further enriched by shifting from a linear to a circular mindset, applying business case thinking as a way to assess the economic dimension of sustainability, and engaging with the quickly evolving sustainability legislation.