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Design for Circularity

Build products that last, adapt, and regenerate

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Designing Products That Never Die

The average smartphone lasts 2 years. Fairphone lasts 8+. The difference? Design intent. Circular design starts with a radical question: what if products never became waste? This means designing for disassembly (reversible fasteners, not glue), modularity (upgrade camera without replacing phone), durability (Patagonia jackets last 10+ years), and material transparency (digital passports track every component). The EU's Ecodesign Directive now mandates repairability scores, spare part availability, and upgrade pathways for electronics. France requires repair indices (0-10) on washing machines, laptops, phones. Companies that embrace this earlyโ€”Fairphone, Framework, Vitsล“ furnitureโ€”command 30% price premiums and fanatical loyalty. Material passports are becoming law: EU's Digital Product Passport (2025) will require full material disclosure, recycled content percentages, and disassembly instructions for all products. This transparency drives circular value: knowing what's inside enables take-back programs, material recovery, and secondary markets.

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Design for Circularity

Expected product lifespan

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Ease of repair and maintenance

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Component upgradeability and replacement

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The 5 Design Principles

Design for Durability

Doubling product life cuts emissions 50%

Products that last 10ร— longer reduce lifecycle emissions by 80%. Quality over quantity.

โ†’Patagonia Nano Puff jacket: 12-year average lifespan vs. 2-year fast fashion
โ†’Vitsล“ 606 shelving: 60+ year lifespan, designed by Dieter Rams in 1960
โ†’Darn Tough socks: lifetime warranty, 5ร— longer than competitors

Design for Disassembly

10ร— easier to repair = 70% longer life

Products that come apart enable repair, upgrade, and material recovery. No glue, no proprietary screws.

โ†’Framework laptop: 8 screws, 11 upgradeable modules, QR codes for every part
โ†’Fairphone: 7 modules replaceable without tools in <5 minutes
โ†’Herman Miller Aeron chair: 94% recyclable, disassembles in 5 minutes

Design for Modularity

Modularity extends life 3-5ร— vs. integrated design

Standardized components enable mix-and-match upgrades without replacing entire product.

โ†’Google Project Ara (failed): modular phone with swappable camera, battery, screen
โ†’Thinkpad T-series: standardized parts across 10+ years of models
โ†’Lego bricks: 60+ years of backward compatibility

Design with Recycled & Renewable Materials

Recycled aluminum saves 95% energy vs. virgin

Use materials already in circulation and bio-based alternatives that regenerate.

โ†’Adidas Ultraboost: 17% ocean plastic content (6M+ shoes sold)
โ†’Allbirds shoes: eucalyptus, merino wool, sugar cane foam (carbon negative)
โ†’Ecovative mushroom packaging: grows in 5 days, composts in 30

Design for Material Purity

Mixed materials = 90% recycling loss, pure = 95% recovery

Mono-materials or easily separable components enable high-quality recycling.

โ†’PET bottles: 100% recyclable when clear (not multi-layer or colored)
โ†’Steel and aluminum: infinitely recyclable without quality loss
โ†’Wool: biodegradable and compostable in 3-4 months

๐Ÿ’ก The Material Passport Revolution

By 2027, every product sold in the EU must have a digital passport showing: materials used, recycled content %, disassembly instructions, repair guides, and carbon footprint. This isn't compliance theaterโ€”it's a $1.5 trillion opportunity. Companies with transparent, high-circularity products will win in a world where material security = business security.

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