Cascade Utilization During the End-of-Life of Product Service Systems: Synergies and Challenges

Abstract

The circular economy concept is receiving increasing attention from academia and businesses as a conceivable means to decouple economic growth from material consumption. Product Service Systems (PSS), primarily due to their sustainability potential, have been identified as a promising lever that can facilitate the transition towards a circular economy. However, a product may not be more resource efficient or have reduced environmental impacts just because it is marketed through one of the various PSS business models. In this regard, the comprehensive End-of-Life (EOL) management of PSS can play a crucial role by maximizing the utilization of a product’s remaining value. In this paper, we consider the applicability of the cascade use methodology proposed by Kalverkamp et al. [15] in the context of PSS. Additionally, we explore the possible synergies and associated challenges between PSS business models and cascade utilization.