Circular economy already starts with the design of a product. To get to know more about the designer’s point of view and current research activities within the field of circular product design, the MOVECO partner Ms. Elisabeth Beer (Cluster of Environmental Technology Bavaria, UCB) participated in the workshop “Circular Product Design” which took place within the Munich Creative Business Week (MCBW) March 3rd -11th, 2018 in Munich (Germany). The goal was to take a look at a product from the very beginning and from different points of view.

The coordinator of this workshop was Dr Ana Mestre, a sustainable design researcher of the Nottingham Trent University. Her activities focus on the research gap within the field of tension between circular economy policy, circular economy model and life cycle design approach. Within the article “Circular Product Design. A Multiple Loops Life Cycle Design Approach for the Circular Economy” which was published by Dr Mestre, four multiple loops strategies are introduced:

• Design to slow the loops
• Design to close the loops
• Design for bio-inspired loops
• Design for bio-based loops

These four strategies can be divided into two categories: Design for a technical cycle (1 & 2) and Design for a biological cycle (3 & 4). Slow the loop strategies deal i.a. with durability and product life extension. Recyclability and disassembly are e.g. topics within close the loop strategies. Biomimetic approaches are addressed in bio-inspired loop strategies while the aim of bio-based loop strategies is to utilise biological materials. The researcher Dr Ana Mestre pointed out that it is essential to consider both the technical and the biological cycles simultaneously.

These different approaches could be starting point for rethinking a design process to start circular economy already in the design phase.

Throughout her participation in this workshop, Ms. Elisabeth Beer could speak to stakeholders with a design background and identified the need for more knowledge transfer with regard to Circular Economy in the design section. She promoted the already available Checklist and Fact Sheets as well as the MOVECO Brochure "Your trash is my treasure" which both received very positive feedback.

The MOVECO partnership comprises representatives from government agencies, business support organisations, research and development facilities and civil society organisations – all committed to unleashing the circular economy in the Danube region.

For more information about MOVECO, we invite you to visit our website and follow us on social media.

If you want to share your thoughts about circular economy or if you are interested in receiving the MOVECO newsletter twice a year, let us know and send an email to moveco@bayfor.org. 

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(Photo credits: MOVECO project)