Abstract
Exploring and utilising sustainable materials, currently known as circular materials, is a prominent strategy to shift to a circular economy. Today, Malaysia's manufacturing and design industries have started to develop by-products and second-life waste materials and incorporate them into products. The idea is to maintain the technical and biological resources in the usage loop, preventing them from leaking into landfills. However, understanding the experiential qualities of such materials still needs to be explored. Although existing research indicates an early and active development of circular materials in Malaysia, there needs to be a greater understanding of how users will experience the materials. Specifically, this study investigates the life cycle information of waste materials that is communicated to users. A dataset of a hundred-seventeen product cases indicates that information within the 'resource' and 'end-of-life' phases is dominant. Such information helps frame the message of the materials' sustainability, but the absence of holistic lifecycle information makes the materials' biography less engaging. The findings denote that the material developers have invested in developing or utilising the technical qualities of the materials, but more emphasis on the experiential qualities is needed. An engaging material experience may secure a successful uptake of circular materials in the market.
Published Version
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