In this paper a novel holistic approach to assess the performance of waste management systems (WMSs) is presented. The so called WMS development stage concept (WMS-DSC) can be used by practitioners or decision makers to assess primarily the WMS at the municipal level. The WMS categorization into development stages notably enables a clear identification of symptoms, the causes of possible waste mismanagement and potential measures for improvement. The concept can be used to (i) assess the status quo of a WMS and, based on this, identify possible measures for implementation; (ii) check whether relevant system conditions to implement a specific measure are met; (iii) monitor the progress of a WMS; and (iv) compare the WMSs of different cities. The concept consists of five development stages: stage 1 – absence or lack of essential elements of waste management; stage 2 – reliable collection and improved landfill sites; stage 3 – separate collection and sorting; stage 4 – expansion of the recycling industry; and stage 5 – circular economy (CE), waste as a resource. While stage 1 describes the absence of or a very immature and malfunctioning WMS, stage 5 stands for a fully implemented CE. By equating the highest stage to the objectives that have evolved today globally for a sustainable CE, this concept can be used to identify targets and the most suitable steps for an individual WMS towards a future best practice of CE.

• A holistic approach to assess waste management systems’ performance is presented.

• A benchmarking tool to estimate the circular economy (CE) evolvement in cities.

• Usable for cities both in the Global North and South to identify CE potentials.

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