The role of ecodesign in the circular economy

Implementing ecodesign principles is key to success for the circular economy. Ecodesign is based on life cycle thinking. During the product development process the designer will think about the environmental impact of the new product for each phase of the life cycle, starting from the extraction of the raw materials, production of materials out of these raw materials, the production techniques to transform the materials into components, assembly of these components into products, the distribution and packaging of the products, the use phase (the impact of consumables and energy consumption), and finally the end of use phase by the consumer. The possibility of repair, upgrade, remanufacture of products and the improvement of the recyclability of the materials starts with the design of the product. Ecodesign guidelines support the designer making decisions during the product development process. The ecodesign guidelines are often classified as “design for X” approaches, where X stands for the different phase in the life cycle of the product. These ecodesign guidelines are brought together in ecodesign tools. Three of these qualitative ecodesign tools are presented in this chapter. To verify all these ecodesign guidelines, the designer will be informed by each partner in the value chain to look for the best compromise. The designer has a key role in the chain collaboration, which is necessary for the transition to the circular economy. The designer's aim is to, develop products and services that fit in the circular economy with the ecodesign principles as a guide. Ecodesign can be considered as the copilot during the product development process. The designer always looks for the best compromise between the ecodesign guidelines and the other requirements of the product (technical, economic, and human-related).

ISBN:978-0-12-819817-9

Jaar van publicatie:2021

Trefwoorden:H2 Book chapter

Toegankelijkheid:Closed