Anaerobic digestion (AD) systems support the circular economy by recovering renewable energy and recycling nutrients from organic waste-to-energy (OWtE) streams. However, their sustainability performance is influenced by temporal variability, including changes in feedstock composition, selective collection efficiency, and operating conditions. Static sustainability assessments, which rely on time-averaged criteria, often overlook these dynamics and may therefore lead to inadequate planning and misguided policy decisions. This study evaluates the relevance of dynamic assessment methodologies for integrating AD systems into OWtE frameworks from a circular economy perspective. A bibliometric and content analysis of peer-reviewed publications from 2015 to 2025 identified 456 relevant documents. The review focuses on dynamic process-based modelling, scenario and sensitivity analysis, dynamic life cycle assessment (dLCA), and hybrid assessment frameworks. Unlike static assessments, dynamic approaches capture time-resolved process evolution, operational transitions, and circular value creation. The findings show that dynamic methods provide a more accurate representation of how AD systems evolve over time by balancing energy recovery, co-product valorisation, and environmental performance. Integrating circular economy metrics into dynamic assessment frameworks further enhances understanding of resource utilization, system resilience, and long-term performance. This review argues that dynamic sustainability assessment should serve as a cornerstone of AD-based OWtE planning, particularly in developing and transitional economies where waste management and energy systems evolve incrementally.
Budihardjo et al. (Fri,) studied this question.