Ms Charmi Kapadia
PhD Student

Research area(s)

Charmi's PhD research focuses on advancing circular economy practices in the UK water and wastewater sector through the application of the Complex Value Optimisation for Resource Recovery (CVORR) methodology. Working in collaboration with Anglian Water, her research examines how resources and value flow through Water Recycling Centres (WRCs) and Sludge Treatment Centres (STCs), with the aim of identifying opportunities to improve resource recovery and circularity.

The research integrates system definition, Mass Flow Analysis (MFA), monetary-flow mapping and stakeholder analysis, alongside a structured assessment of five levels of information: environmental, technical, economic, regulatory and social. Together, these dimensions are used to understand system performance and the feasibility of circular interventions within wastewater operations.

These analyses will inform the development of a Circularity-Extended Input-Output (CEIO) tool, designed to assess circularity performance, identify high-impact intervention points and support evidence-based decision-making.

Ultimately, the research aims to provide a practical and systems-based approach that can support Anglian Water and the wider UK water sector in evaluating resource recovery opportunities and informing future operational and investment decisions.

Research Interests

• Circular economy and circularity assessment
• Water and wastewater systems
• Water quality and sustainable water management
• Resource recovery and resource efficiency
• Mass and resource flow analysis
• Industrial symbiosis
• Systems thinking and decision-support approaches
• Sustainable infrastructure and environmental planning
• Stakeholder engagement and sustainability transitions