Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Resources, Conservation & Recycling journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/resconrec Full length article Finding an economic and environmental balance in value chains based on circular economy thinking: An eco-efficiency methodology applied to the fish canning industry Jara Laso a, ⁎ , Isabel García-Herrero a , María Margallo a , Ian Vázquez-Rowe b , Pére Fullana c , Alba Bala c , Cristina Gazulla d , Ángel Irabien a , Rubén Aldaco a a Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Cantabria, Avda. de los Castros s/n, 39005, Santander, Spain b Peruvian LCA Network, Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Av. Universitaria 1801, San Miguel, Lima 15088, Peru c UNESCO Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change, Escola Superior de Comerç International (ESCI-UPF), Pg. Pujades 1, 08003 Barcelona, Spain d Lavola Cosostenibilidad, Rbla. Catalunya 6, 08007, Spain ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Life cycle assessment Life cycle costing Eco-efficiency Engraulis encrasicolus Linear programming ABSTRACT The production of food that is environmentally friendly and presents a high economic return is one of the current concerns for the food industry. Eco-efficiency links the environmental performance of a product to its economic value. In this context, this study combines Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) to propose a two-step eco-efficiency methodology assessment for the fish canning industry. An eco-label rating system based on a descriptive weighting of environmental (Global Warming Potential, Acidification Potential, Eutrophication Potential and the ReCiPe Single Score Endpoint) and economic (Value Added) indicators was applied to the canned anchovy. Secondly, LCA-LCC results were coupled to linear programming (LP) tools in order to define a composite eco-efficiency index. This approach enables translation into economic terms of the environmental damage caused when a given alternative is chosen. In particular, different origins for anchovy species (South American vs. Cantabrian) and related waste management alternatives (landfill, incineration and valorization) were evaluated under this cradle to gate approach. Results indicated that substantial differences can be observed depending on the origin of the fish. Anchovies landed in Cantabria show a higher value added score at the expense of larger environmental impacts, mainly due to fuel use intensity. Moreover, its environmental scores are lowered when fish residues are valorized into marketable products, while increasing the value added. This study demonstrates the environmental and economic benefits of applying circular economy. According to this, it is possible to introduce the cradle-to-cradle concept in the fish canned industry. The methodology proposed is intended to be useful to decision-makers in the anchovy canning sector and can be applied to other regions and industrial sectors. 1. Introduction In recent years, the transition toward more efficient resource pro- duction and consumption patterns has been one of the main challenges for governmental authorities due to the potential threats for human well-being, the economy and the environment (Huysman et al., 2015). In this context, the European Commission (EC) launched the initiative “The Roadmap to Resource Efficient Europe” (EC, 2011) which pro- poses ways to increase resource productivity and to decouple economic growth from resource use and its environmental impact. In particular, over the past century, worldwide marine fisheries have been increasingly vulnerable to overexploitation, detrimental fishing practices and environmental degradation (FAO, 2009), as well as intense fishing pressure which has led to a precipitous decline or collapse of several fish stocks (FAO, 2016). Moreover, the growth of world population translates into an increase in the consumption per capita of fish and seafood. In fact, it is estimated that 31.4% of fish stocks are being fished at a biologically unsustainable level (Bonanomi et al., 2017). Since seafood accounts for ca. 17% of the world's animal protein intake and is increasingly recognized as being an important part of global food security, a food versus feed debate exists. Controversy is ongoing with respect to what the best use of fish should be, i.e., for either direct human consumption (DHC) (Avadí et al., 2014) or indirect human consumption (IHC or feed fish) through the feeding of farmed https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2018.02.004 Received 15 May 2017; Received in revised form 5 December 2017; Accepted 5 February 2018 ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail address: jara.laso@unican.es (J. Laso). Resources, Conservation & Recycling xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx 0921-3449/ © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Please cite this article as: Laso, J., Resources, Conservation & Recycling (2018), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2018.02.004