Utility Factor

The utility factor is calculated based on the expected longevity of the product compared to the average product life span in the industry. The longevity can either be defined by years in use or the amount of functional units (e.g. glow plugs have a longevity of about 60.000 km)

On a material basis, the expected lifespan of a material is compared to its category.

Product vs. Material MCI

At the product level, the MCI assesses how long a product lasts compared to the industry average. In this context, the Linear Flow Index (LFI) will be calculated for each material used in the manufacture of the product. However, when assessing the Utility Factor and thus comparing the product’s lifetime to the industry average, the analysis will be conducted at the product level, not the material level.

At the material level, the MCI evaluates the durability of a material relative to its material group. For instance, the longevity of polyethylene (PE) is compared to the average longevity of all polymers. So for PE the expected Lifetime is 18 years, for Plastic in general it is 10 years. Therefore the Utility factor of PP would be 1,8=18/10. For this reason, the comparability of circularity between different materials of different category groups can be biased.