The framework that researchers from Chalmers University of Technology have constructed is one step along the way to determining which methods for resource efficiency are best suited for which products.
The very first design phase offers the greatest opportunities to ensure that a product is as efficient as possible in its use of resources. The objective of the project is to develop design methods that can provide the support that designers need.
A transition to a circular economy with increased competitiveness for companies will require new, innovative business models. At the same time such a transition will encounter both obstacles and driving forces.
A number of elements are required in a circular economy: knowledge about materials and design, new business models, the reuse of resources, and - not least - legislation, regulations and directives that support a circular economy.