To create a circular economy, we require a transformational shift from our take make and dispose consumption based economy to one which focuses on sustainability, resource efficiency and the regeneration of nature.
Core to delivering this shift is the need to design out waste by keeping materials in use for longer and as 80% of the key environmental properties of all products and services are defined at the design stage it is therefore central to being able to make this shift.
Design can contribute to delivering these circular economy ideals in many ways from the choice of the materials used which need be readily recyclable to products that are easy to disassemble and repair. Too often we manufacture without a thought to extending the lifespan of products and often repair is more expensive than buying new.
Closing the loop on products and materials is also a manner of ensuring materials can be targeted and captured and not lost as waste. The new Deposit Return system proposed for 2027 is an excellent way how we can close the loop on materials and prevent damage to the environment by failure to recycle or worse still to the littering of our environment.
Design can go further than just product design to focus on the creation of more resource efficient sharing-based business models which maximise the use of products by multiple users. Likewise lease and take back schemes can ensure that products are taken back by manufacturers who are now incentivised to create more durable and repairable products to give the returning products a second life.
Ultimately design is key to unlocking the full potential of the circular economy as it enables us to rethink waste, redefine product life cycles and create sustainable solutions that protect the environment.
So, as the Governments new Circular Economy Taskforce ponders on measures critical to the delivery of sustainable growth they must ensure design is always central to their thinking.
