Circular Design Strategies in Manufacturing SME’s: from Material to the Meaning and Dematerialization

Abstract

EU member countries are still lacking behind with the sustainable development goals and CE development. It relates to business orientation to short-term solutions, which bring higher profits faster. Most manufacturing regulatory efforts are focused on addressing the consequences in the value chain. There is still a significant lack of attention to the preventive approach based on circular product design. Circular product design can help prevent a product or service obsolescence by building high emotional and physical durability. Circular Design strategies are defined to counter obsolescence and go along with circular business models. The insufficient research on Circular Design challenges its application in business. This paper focuses on studying Circular Design strategies and their application in manufacturing SMEs. A literature review and case study overview are used as the method within this paper. The research shows that transformation at the product-service-system levels can potentially influence the business models to create more meaning and dematerialization within the company’s production. The research results can be used in further research and business practice, contributing to diffuse the preventive approach in business and move from Material Efficiency towards Resource Sufficiency.