The level of relevance (R) might appear somewhat ambiguous as there are many criteria/viewpoints which can be used to determine relevance. However, if the viewpoint is clearly set, defining R is not difficult. R evaluates the degree of relevance of each criterion for a product category according to its function, life span, durability, performance, etc. and positive effect for the customer and the environment.

It has grades from Not applicable (0);very low (1); low (2); high (3); very high (4)

MI evaluates the level of compliance of the criteria. It assesses to what extent a product design has incorporated circular design into the product. MI is defined based on four grades. If a certain criterion is not met, the MI of that product design will be very High, and grade 4 will be assigned. Conversely, if a product design fully meets the criterion, the MI will be very Low, and grade 1 will be assigned. The lower the MI, the higher possibility of a better score.

To identify the criteria that are most important to be incorporated into a product design, it is necessary to calculate the circularity score (score). The values assigned to and used to calculate the score of an ICT good, which would allow designers to identify which groups are most important to be incorporated, more so than others in their product design in order to improve its circularity.

Calculation of the circularity score (score) ranges from 0 to 100% for the ICT good at hand for all three circular design guideline groups (CDGGs). This includes:

–     Using a predefined value matrix to identify the % score from 0 to 100 for each combination of R×MI.

–     Average the included criteria for the ICT good at hand separately for all three groups: product durability, ability to recycle, repair, reuse, and upgrade from equipment and manufacturer level