Circular Product Design Research Articles

Integrative conceptualization of products and business models for the circular economy: A systematic literature review

The increasing demand for sustainability is challenging manufacturing companies and endangers the viability of their current business models. Their historically linear value creation model needs to be restructured to remain viable and to be conform with the requirements of sustainability. As a result, the circular economy has emerged as a promising economic model. For implementing a circular economy, it is essential to adapt the existing product design and business model towards more circularity. However, the knowledge regarding interdependencies between the circular product design (CPD) and circular business models (CBM) remains vague in theory and practice, hence leading to untapped potentials in practice. The aim of this paper is a framework that allows for an integrative conceptualization of CPD and CBM for the circular economy. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify concrete challenges, barriers, drivers, and potentials for CPD and CBM. By consolidating the results, a framework is derived that characterizes the specific areas of influence for CPD and CBM. Through this, companies receive a deeper understanding about the functionality of a circular economy. Based on the outlined challenges, companies can effectively plan the implementation of the circular economy.

Developing Insulating Polymeric Foams: Strategies and Research Needs from a Circular Economy Perspective.

Insulating polymeric foams have an important role to play in increasing energy efficiency and therefore contributing to combating climate change. Their development in recent years has been driven towards the reduction of thermal conductivity and achievement of the required mechanical properties as main targets towards sustainability. This perception of sustainability has overseen the choice of raw materials, which are often toxic, or has placed research efforts on optimizing one constituent while the other necessary reactants remain hazardous. The transition to the circular economy requires a holistic understanding of sustainability and a shift in design methodology and the resulting research focus. This paper identifies research needs and possible strategies for polymeric foam development compatible with Circular Product Design and Green Engineering, based on an extensive literature review. Identified research needs include material characterization of a broader spectrum of polymer melt–gas solutions, ageing behavior, tailoring of the polymer chains, detailed understanding and modeling of the effects of shear on cell nucleation, and the upscaling of processing tools allowing for high and defined pressure drop rates.

Circular product design maturity matrix: A guideline to evaluate new product development in light of the circular economy transition

Many recent studies have highlighted the role of circular product design in the light of the transition to the circular economy . Nevertheless, the gradual incorporation of circular economy practices, methods, and tools still requires further investigation, mainly in terms of new product development, which is a key process for the adoption of the circular economy. The main innovation of this paper is its proposal of a maturity matrix for the gradual adoption of the circular economy in the new product development process . The development and proposition of this maturity matrix was based on a literature review, evaluation from experts, and application in four companies, from different industrial sectors. The matrix is composed of five maturity levels and eleven analysis dimensions, encompassing the circular economy-oriented design strategies. Among the main outcomes, the application of the matrix provides a diagnosis and broader understanding of how circular the new product development process in a company is. Moreover, the matrix can guide companies to gradually improve circular economy integration through the design of new products, contributing to the theoretical and managerial debate about the transformation processes involved in the transition from a linear to a circular economy. • The study identifies and systematizes current knowledge on circular product design (CPD). • A maturity matrix integrating CPD strategies and management practices was developed and proposed. • The paper discusses the results of the application of the matrix in four companies. • The matrix provides a diagnosis of the maturity level and in-depth insights regarding CPD.

Computational optimization for circular economy product design

This study proposes and tests methods for computational multi-objective optimization (MOO) for circular economy (CE) product design. Current CE design frameworks and assessments fail to address two key areas in which computational optimization can add value: identifying the best-performing solutions among many options and managing multiple potentially conflicting or redundant CE objectives. Furthermore, effective optimization methods for CE design can improve the outcomes of manual design processes, resulting in reductions in waste and environmental impacts for products throughout their lifecycles. This paper provides an overview of instances where computational optimization can provide the greatest value within CE product design frameworks and methods for converting circular design strategies to a simplified set of optimizable objectives for MOO. These methods were tested to optimize a product design case study. The results demonstrate the improvements MOO can achieve for CE product design and provide a basis for discussion of future work.

Development of the Circular Product Readiness Method in Circular Design

Design indicators can be used by companies to track circular design implementation, which can yield insights into their performance and opportunities for improvement. Yet, existing indicator methods either lack depth with regard to circular design, are incomplete, or do not use design semantics. This study explores product-level circularity indicators, with the aim of developing a comprehensive circularity indicator method specifically aimed at designers. The method development process follows a three step Design Science Research approach. It comprises a literature review and knowledge coproduction sessions with circular design experts on topics such as durability, repair, remanufacturing, and recycling. Furthermore, it includes company evaluations with two multinational corporations operating in the white goods and automotive industries. The study delivers the first indicator method for assessing circular product design on a broad range of aspects, including levels of readiness, company strengths, and opportunities for improvement. The method uses product design semantics to evaluate design aspects, takes a comprehensive view of the full life cycle, and has been specifically developed for industry use.

Smart Material Choice: The Importance of Circular Design Strategy Applications for Bio-Based Food Packaging Preproduction and End-of-Life Life Cycle Stages

This article provides a systematic literature review on the integrated approach of bio-based plastic food packaging in a circular economy. It focuses on the following key areas: (1) the role of bio-based plastic food packaging in a circular product design strategy and material choice in the preproduction life cycle stage; (2) the role of bio-based plastic food packaging in circular resource management systems and the product disposal life cycle stage; and (3) an optimal bio-based plastic food packaging application in regard to prioritising end-of-life treatment. While there are dedicated publications on the role of packaging in a circular economy, circular packaging design, packaging waste management, and bio-origin plastic applications in food packaging, this article aims to provide an integrated review and recommendations on the best bio-based plastic food packaging material selection, applications based on a circular economy, and scenarios on waste/resource management that prioritise end-of-life treatment. Three of the current most popular bio-based plastic materials in the flexible and rigid food packaging categories were selected: starch blends, bio-PE, and PLA for flexible food packaging and PLA, bio-PET, and bio-PE for rigid packaging. This article highlights the fact that a smart material choice in the circular design strategy is a key factor that has a direct impact on the last packaging life cycle stage (disposal), and concludes that bio-based plastic materials are a way to close the food packaging loop, either by re-use or recycling. This article also provides recommendations on the best bio-based plastic food packaging material selection, and applications based on the circular economy and waste management that prioritise end-of-life treatment. The research results indicate a research niche for the application of re-usable biodegradable materials in food packaging. The findings of this research allow product designers and packaging companies to advance the understanding of the most efficient bio-based plastic food packaging integration into the circular economy via decision making of product material choice and end-of-life treatment. Based on the results of this article, scholars can develop new themes for further research.

Implementing circular economy strategies during product development

Although recent circular economy literature has emphasized the strategic role played by circular product design in private sector organizations, strategic management literature has so far overlooked the management implications of integrating circular economy strategies into new or existing products. As a result, the implementation of circular product design in private sector organizations remains unclear. The present paper aims to describe the managerial factors necessary for the implementation of value retention strategies during design and to designate a range of conditions under which each factor may arise. Examples of implementation processes (n = 24) were collected via expert interviews and compiled within a comprehensive framework based on general morphological analysis. Hence, implementation processes are represented as a combination of a limited number of process conditions. The framework is also used to describe a taxonomy of process configurations using hierarchical clustering, which indicates a strong influence of corporate sustainability maturity profiles in the implementation configurations observed. The contents of the present work help bridge the gap between strategic management and circular product design literature by providing the building blocks necessary for the integration of value-retention strategies during product planning and development.

To What Extent Is Circular Product Design Supporting Carbon Reduction Strategies? An Analysis of Nordic Manufacturing Firms within the Science-Based Targets Initiative

AbstractCorporate climate action is critical in supporting the transition towards a low-carbon economy. This paper explores what design practices have been adopted by manufacturing companies that have committed to science-based emission reduction targets and are making progress towards those targets. We contribute to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence of circular economy (CE) actions related to product design supporting firms in reaching their emission reduction targets, contributing to the calls for more research showing evidence between CE adoption and emissions reduction.

Agri-Food Industry Waste as Resource of Chemicals: The Role of Membrane Technology in Their Sustainable Recycling

The agri-food sector generates substantial quantities of waste material on farm and during the processing of these commodities, creating serious social and environmental problems. However, these wastes can be resources of raw material for the production of valuable chemicals with applications in various industrial sectors (e.g., food ingredients, nutraceuticals, bioderived fine chemicals, biofuels etc.). The recovery, purification and biotransformation of agri-food waste phytochemicals from this microbial spoilage-prone, complex agri-food waste material, requires appropriate fast pre-treatment and integration of various processes. This review provides a brief summary and discussion of the unique advantages and the importance of membrane technology in sustainable recycling of phytochemicals from some of the main agri-food sectors. Membrane-based pressure -driven processes present several advantages for the recovery of labile compounds from dilute streams. For example, they are clean technologies that can operate at low temperature (20–60 °C), have low energy requirements, there is no need for additional chemicals, can be quite automated and electrifiable, and have low space requirements. Based on their permselective properties based on size-, shape-, and charge-exclusion mechanisms, membrane-based separation processes have unpaired efficiency in fractionating biological components while presenting their properties. Pressure-driven membrane processes, such as microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF) and nanofiltration (NF), as well as other advanced membrane-based processes such as membrane bioreactors (MBR), membrane emulsification (ME) and membrane distillation (MD), are presented. The integration of various membrane technologies from the initial recovery of these phytochemicals (MF, UF, NF) to the final formulation (by ME) of commercial products is described. A good example of an extensively studied agri-food stream is the olive processing industry, where many different alternatives have been suggested for the recovery of biophenols and final product fabrication. Membrane process integration will deliver in the near future mature technologies for the efficient treatment of these streams in larger scales, with direct impact on the environmental protection and society (production of compounds with positive health effects, new job creation, etc.). It is expected that integration of these technologies will have substantial impact on future bio-based societies over forthcoming decades and change the way that these chemicals are currently produced, moving from petrochemical-based linear product fabrication to a sustainable circular product design based in agri-food waste biomass.

Consumer Demand for Circular Products: Identifying Customer Segments in the Circular Economy

Understanding consumer preferences in the circular economy can help producers develop profitable strategies, lowering the risk involved in transitioning to circular business models and circular product design. This study uses a choice experiment to identify customer segments for mobile phones and robot vacuum cleaners at different levels of circularity. The experiment observes how a product’s theoretical Circular Economy Score (ranging from 0 to 100) influences consumer preferences as compared to other product attributes like price, appearance, warranty, battery life, reseller type, or ease of repair. Drawing from 800 UK respondents, the results indicate the presence of three customer segments that are sensitive to a product’s Circular Economy Score, including two that appear willing to purchase recirculated items and one that expresses a preference against them. The results offer initial evidence that a market for recirculated consumer electronics exists and that circularity labeling is a marketable option. The results also present a strong rationale for further research that probes a greater variety of products and contexts.

Circular product design: strategies, challenges and relationships with new product development

PurposeAlthough product design is a fundamental element in the transition towards the circular economy, the knowledge of practices, methods and tools oriented to circular product design has not been widely developed. This study aims to contribute to the circular economy research area by investigating and analyzing the main design approaches to circular products and their relationship to new product development.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a systematic review and qualitative analysis of 120 articles. In these studies, the authors analyzed aspects such as design strategies used, the barriers to the adoption of circular product design and the relationships between the phases of new product development processes with circular product design studies.FindingsThe findings revealed that the circular product design approach has added new design strategies to those already recommended by ecodesign, such as multiple use cycles, emotional durability and biomimicry. Furthermore, the results showed that most circular product design articles focus on the planning and concept development phases of the new product development process.Originality/valueIn this article, the authors systematized the findings of an emergent research area: the development of new products for the circular economy. Its main contributions lie in the identification of design strategies, the classification of Design for X approaches, analysis of such approaches during the new product development process and discussion of their main barriers. Finally, this study presents contributions for managers and designers who are starting the transition to a circular strategy.

Extrusion foaming behavior of polybutene‐1. Toward single‐material multifunctional sandwich structures

AbstractPolymeric foams are a key element of many multifunctional sandwich structures. The most commonly used polymeric foam, polyurethane, presents environmental drawbacks, related to poor recyclability and the use of toxic diisocyanates for their manufacturing. The separation of layers in sandwich structures is a further unresolved hurdle toward the recyclability of these elements. There is a need for broadening the spectrum of polymeric foams. In this context, the foamability of polybutene‐1 (PB‐1) is studied through extrusion foaming experiments. From the application side, foaming PB‐1 would allow the manufacturing of district heating pre‐insulated pipes out of one single material, bringing circular product design to the energy sector. From the scientific side, there is a knowledge gap in the foaming of polymers in the rubbery state at room temperature, such as PB‐1, due to difficulties in the cell stabilization step. This supports the need for research in the foaming of this polymer. In this study, four commercial grades of PB‐1 were evaluated, covering different chain structures, molecular weights, and crystallinity degrees. Very different foaming behaviors were found. Dimensionally stable foams were achieved with the two homopolymers tested, demonstrating the foamability of this polymer.

Overcoming barriers to circular product design

The circular economy concept provides sustainability research with a new vision in place of the present linear economic model. This study focuses on product design, the starting point of applying circular thinking in supply chain functions. We investigate barriers to circular product design from a stakeholder perspective. Using thematic analysis and data collected from 15 semi-structured interviews in New Zealand, we identify four prominent barriers: financial constraints, inadequate infrastructure, government inaction, and global market barriers. The most influential stakeholder classes for overcoming the barriers are consumers, industry leaders, and governments. Circumventing measures lie in sustainable end-of-life product and waste management, resource circularity, modularity and standardization in design, and supply chain collaboration. Based on these new insights, we develop a roadmap for circular product design, providing practical guidance for businesses and policymakers. We also add to research on stakeholder theory by exploring its descriptive aspect in the context of a transition to circular economy at the supply chain level.

Integrating product design and supply chain management for a circular economy

Circular economy (CE) provides an alternative development model to the dominant take-make-dispose linear approach, and thus a new vision for solving sustainability challenges. Firms need to operationalise CE in their supply chain operations, starting from circular product design as the foundational step. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how to integrate product design and supply chain management (SCM) decisions for a CE transition. A thematic analysis was conducted on data collected from 15 semi-structured interviews in New Zealand. Four propositions were established based on the identified themes, namely, end-of-life thinking in product design, circular SCM, business model innovation, and sustainable organisational values. The study results provide a novel insight into the integration of product design and SCM for a CE transition. The operational framework developed provides guidance to product designers, managers, and researchers to advance the CE cause at the supply chain level.

Circular economy‐based new products and company performance: The role of stakeholders and Industry 4.0 technologies

AbstractWhile the circular economy (CE) attracts attention from scholars and practitioners, the concept has been challenged by claims that the CE may be seen as a vague concept, or a new label for old green management practices. We propose a new approach to study the effects of the CE on company performance: circular product design (CPD). Consequently, this work investigates how Industry 4.0 technologies and stakeholder pressure influence CPD and, in turn, impact on company performance. Data were obtained from firms which develop products in the electric–electronic and equipment (EEE) sectors in Brazil. Our research results indicate that (i) the application of Industry 4.0 technologies favors CPD, in particular artificial intelligence and big data analytics; (ii) pressure from stakeholders can encourage the adoption of circular strategies, specially from suppliers because they are responsible for developing and delivering smart components; and (iii) although the literature may be seen as controversial, there is a positive relationship with regard to the impacts of CE adoption on market performance. Among its main implications, the article also suggests a set of design strategies oriented towards the development of products for the CE.

Smart circular product design strategies towards eco-effective production systems: A lean eco-design industry 4.0 framework

For industrial enterprises, the transformation to circular business models can be curbed both by operational tools and the lack of relevant data. Lean thinking has offered great flexibility in production processes and systems by challenging mass production practices, resulting in more “Lean” products with less waste. Lean design and Eco-design, associated with Industry 4.0 technologies, can be an efficient structured and methodological approach in developing products based on the circular economy strategies. Indeed, decisions made during the product design stage can significantly impact the sustainability of products throughout their life cycle. Hence, lean design combined with eco-design and Industry 4.0 represents an innovative model to include sustainability throughout the product life cycle. This paper explores the relationship between lean eco-design and I4.0 strategies for designing eco-efficient products based on a literature review. The proposed framework is based on the synergic use of Lean design, Eco-design, and Industry 4.0. It offers the right formula to deliver better and cleaner products using appropriate processes to support manufacturers in designing products, fulfilling customers' needs and expectations. It provides scholars, designers, and managers with valuable insights into deploying strategies to design sustainable products.

Serious Games in Secondary Education to Introduce Circular Economy: Experiences With the Game EcoCEO

The concept of the circular economy is being proposed as an alternative for the current linear economy. However, little research has been done on how to integrate this topic within education. Serious games are suggested as an appropriate way to create awareness about and stimulate behavioral change toward sustainable development. Therefore, the serious game ecoCEO has been developed to introduce the circular economy concept within upper secondary education. The game's intention is to introduce students to the challenge of resource scarcity, circular product design, sustainable entrepreneurship and circular business models. EcoCEO has been tested among 42 students, whose written reflections were qualitatively examined. EcoCEO appears successful, at least partially, in contrasting the circular economy with the linear economy and in conveying relevant concepts such as recycling and reuse. EcoCEO also illustrates the importance of the circular economy within the context of material scarcity. Moreover, most students in our case study seem to have a good impression of the role and responsibilities of a (sustainable) entrepreneur. Despite its difficulty level, the majority of the students reported having fun while playing ecoCEO.

Investigating drivers of circular supply chain with product-service system in automotive firms of an emerging economy

In the rise of global emphasis on circular economy, the automotive firms in an emerging economy such as India in this context are bracing themselves for circular supply chain to recover the expended resources after formalization of End-of-life vehicle (ELV) norms, but these firms lack the knowledge about how to transform from Product-Service System (PSS) business model to circular business model. The extant literature doesn't mention clearly as to what drivers and sub-drivers are needed for adoption of circular principles in PSS business model. This paper aims to propose a multi-theoretical framework (the resource-based view, resource-dependence theory, and stakeholder theory) and identifies and evaluates drivers and sub-drivers. The paper adopts Grey-Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory multi-criteria decision-making method to evaluate the inter-relationship between the sub-drivers. A structural model has been developed based on the outcome of the empirical analysis. The study recommends that firm should focus on the important drivers (sub-drivers) – Circular Value Marketing (Recovery/Recycling information on a Product), Circular Services (Supplier adaptability for closed resource loop), Circular Product Design (Design of Sustainability Capability), and Reverse Flow Drivers (Incentives in Secondary Market for Recoverable Products). The implications are related to design, sourcing, and marketing functions and suggest the adoption of the influencing drivers and sub-drivers to create circular value. This study contributes to the literature of the circular supply chain by discriminating the causal relationships between factors that would help managers to develop product service systems strategy(s) to create circular value in the supply chain.

Product Design for Automated Remanufacturing—A Case Study of Electric and Electronic Equipment in Sweden

Remanufacturing is one of the main practices toward a circular economy and industrial sustainability. Remanufacturing is highly dependent on how circular products are designed and developed. Remanufacturing can also benefit from automation for efficiency, accuracy and flexibility. This paper, via a multiple case study, connects the three areas of remanufacturing, product design and automation and investigates how circular product design can facilitate automation remanufacturing processes. First, circular product design guidelines are discussed with regard to remanufacturing. Second, potential areas for automation at three remanufacturers of electric and electronic equipment are pinpointed. Finally, design guidelines are connected to the identified potential automation areas in each remanufacturing process and discussed together. According to our results, the main incentives for automating remanufacturing processes are mainly related to the work environment, efficiency and quality. In addition, several design guidelines can facilitate automated remanufacturing processes; for instance, the standardization of components, fasteners and remanufacturing tools across different models and brands can also facilitate automated remanufacturing, where products can easily and nondestructively be disassembled by a robot or a machine.

An Innovative Strategy Allowing a Holistic System Change towards Circular Economy within Supply-Chains

The concept of the circular economy (CE) is receiving encouraging attention among scholars and practitioners, as a convenient solution to move away from the linear economy concept without neglecting the goals of sustainable development. The main goals of the CE are the closing of resource loops and the keeping of resources in the system for as long as possible at the highest utility level. However, as a result of the lack of internationally accepted definitions of the CE and several unsolved barriers, an excessive and inconsistent number of different CE applications exist. Most fields are mainly focusing on making a linear system circular instead of applying the CE principles in a holistic way. This paper presents a strategy to close the mentioned inconsistency gap, by contrasting currently discussed CE barriers and goals and thereof deriving two areas with a need for action (1. identifying the needed collection, sorting, and recovery infrastructure, and 2. developing circular product design guidelines). The strategy itself consists of connecting these two areas through an improved information exchange between the end-of-life (EOL) and beginning-of-life (BOL) of products. The result is CE design guidelines which are in accordance with the available or needed collection, sorting, and recovery infrastructure. The proposed strategy presents an innovative solution to apply CE principles in a holistic manner, based on EOL-driven product design.