Design for Circularity – Identification of Fields of Action for Ecodesign for the Circular Economy

Abstract

The prevailing production and consumption patterns mostly follow a linear logic: produce, consume and dispose. This orientation of the economic system is highly resource-intensive and exceeds planetary boundaries. In order to decouple the economic growth from resource consumption circular economy is an important enabler by creating and closing resource loops. The goal of a circular economy is the sustainable return of resources into the value chain. Thereby, the design of the products plays a decisive role. Ecodesign is a systematic design approach for products in order to reduce environmental impacts over the entire life cycle by defining design principles. Therefore, ecodesign has the potential to allow the implementation of a circular economy by identifying design principles that enable critical resources to be preserved in cycles. For this reason, a framework with nine fields of action for the realization of circular economy by ecodesign was derived. The fields of action are based on the circular economy strategies "Closing the Loop" and "Slowing the Loop" as well as the product lifecycle phases addressed by ecodesign “production”, “use” and “recycling”. Practical use cases deal with the impact of the various design principles at the material, component and product levels of analysis.