Circular Designs

Despite companies face several challenges when redesigning their supply chain for the Circular Economy, the literature lacks a systematisation of such challenges and of the ways to overcome them. Through a systematic literature review, this paper identifies and systematises 24 challenges that may hamper a supply chain redesign for the Circular Economy. Sixteen among these challenges are well known from research in related topics. On the contrary, the remaining eight are relatively new or take a different relevance within the Circular Economy context. A multiple case study in the household appliance supply chain is carried out, to explore how these challenges appear in practice and how companies may tackle them. The cases analysed involve actors at different supply chain levels, and findings suggest that a great degree of vertical integration by one actor in the supply chain is not a necessary condition for Circular Economy implementation. The empirical study, in conjunction with the literature analysis, leads to the development of a framework linking the challenges to specific levers that companies may pursue to overcome them. The framework can be seen as a reference for managers undertaking the path towards Circular Economy

Circular economy has been on top of the EU agenda as a practical
solution for global challenges on resources, environmental issues and
social well-being. It has been said that circular economy can bring many
opportunities, however, it requires system-level redesign. This change
comprises of how we, as individuals and society, shift our values and how we function. Above all, it includes a change in how the system, products, and services operate and, primarily, how they are designed.

This compilation thesis discusses circular economy through a trilogy of
connected articles. The first article elaborates the concept of circular
economy based on a previous research. The second article is dedicated to urban mines, which can play a major role in the transition towards a
circular society. Finally, the third article closes the trilogy by debating
design for circular economy. This article manifests circular design as the
key factor of the resource challenge our society faces and resonates with the principles of circular economy.

These thematically overlapping articles describe circular economy in a
coherent document and thus contribute to increasing awareness and bring a better understanding of the paradigm.

Key words: circular economy, urban mines, urban mining, circular design

This study examines the introduction of a ‘design-led upcycling’ group project into an established design and enterprise curriculum structure with students on BA (Hons) fashion and textile design at the University of Portsmouth, UK. It reflects the common experience and situated knowledges of academic, technical staff and students contextualised within the changing imperatives of design education. Academics and technicians re-evaluated their established teaching and support methods in relation to upcycling in design.

This article conceptualises the built environment as circular systems that produce reusable components. It shows how to keep materials in the value chain by design. Based on a case study with four buildings, we develop an analytical framework that applies the assumptions of the Circular Economy to all the stages of a building's lifecycle. The background is that the construction of buildings generates large amounts of waste. In Germany and the Netherlands alone, the construction industry accounts for more than half of the total waste produced. Despite this fact, the literature regarding the reuse of building materials is limited to the direct in-and outputs of material value chains: the type of materials used and recycling options for construction waste. The role of the designer is underrepresented, a gap this study seeks to close. The results visually highlight strategies of significantly reduced waste generation and an increased circularity of materials.

Intervento al convegno "Ground(s). Mapping, designing and caring: towards a convivial society", Bologna, 10 dicembre 2021. In collaborazione con Marco Manfra. Convegno organizzato da Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, in collaborazione con CPCL - International journal of creative practices in cities and landscapes.

The transition towards a Circular Economy (CE) in the built environment is crucial to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Theoretical frameworks and methods for circular design have been developed. Yet, there is a lack of knowledge on circular design in practice and how circular design thinking can be supported. This study aims to provide insights on circular design in practice and how this can be supported through circular design methods. First, we reviewed existing circular design methods and developed a card-based circular design tool. Next, an interactive survey and design workshop using the tool was carried out with 12 design experts to gather knowledge on circular design in practice. Finally, we derive key learnings that can support the development of circular design methods and advancement of CE in practice. Overall, circular design remains highly conceptual and is challenging due to the interconnectedness of parameters and temporal aspects such as product life cycle. Designers need ways of educating and convincing stakeholders on the value and feasibility of circular design. Advancing the CE in practice requires circular design methods that help to contextualize the design process and reduce complexity, and examples are needed of how CE can be implemented in practice.

Both the daily use and renewal of kitchens significantly contribute to the overall environmental impact of domestic buildings. To identify design implications related to circular consumption in domestic kitchens, 20 household interviews and one focus group session were performed, investigating how kitchens are used and transformed to meet households' wants and needs. This study determined that daily kitchen resource use is greatly affected by kitchen design and that typical kitchen design generally does not promote sustainable resource use. Key factors that support minimization of resource use in the kitchen are the availability and planning of storage and workspaces. Furthermore, kitchens should be equipped with functions that enable households to use energy and water efficiently. Regarding kitchen renewal, various motivations that may initiate kitchen renovations can be summarised as follows: (1) Functional demands and changing needs, (2) aesthetic demands and changing trends, (3) obsolescence due to wear, and (4) linkage to another home renovation. This article concludes that a combination of design strategies is needed to reach a higher level of kitchen circularity. Moreover, these design strategies must be accompanied by circular business models and efforts to increase awareness of the environmental impact related to activities in and involving the kitchen.

Este artigo apresenta os resultados de uma pesquisa que estudou as potencialidades de aproveitamento da madeira proveniente da poda e supressão de árvores urbanas. Nela procurou-se entender como o campo do design pode contribuir com o desenvolvimento da gestão sustentável em ambientes urbanos, apontando oportunidades promissoras observadas a partir do estudo de caso de indivíduos arbóreos da espécie invasora Leucaena leucocephala existentes no Campus Universitário Armando Sales de Oliveira. A pesquisa abrangeu: análise do sistema de poda e descarte de resíduos de árvores no local, necessidades e infraestrutura existentes junto aos cursos de design e arquitetura; estudo sobre sistemas de aproveitamento de madeira urbana e sobre as características da espécie objeto da investigação; testes, ensaios físicos e mecânicos; e experimentos aplicando as principais operações da marcenaria tradicional nos  galhos coletados. Verificou-se que o material poderia ser utilizado em atividades acadêmi...

Designing for object detachment offers potential for extending an object’s lifespan and reducing environmental impact. The philosophy and theory of care-giving in nursing practice may be usefully adapted and applied to the care of possessions. Care-giving behaviour towards objects includes
maintaining and repairing them, but also letting them go gracefully, and has potential implications for sustainable design. Little research has explored applying the concept of ‘carative factors’ (love and charity, and the motive
of all caring) to the design process. This study introduces a toolkit based on four motive caring factors and influential factors, and reports on an exploratory workshop, in which participants use the toolkit to generate design concepts. The results suggest that the concept of carative factors has value in the design processes for extending the lifespan of objects,
and the toolkit provides better understanding for designers of ownership, disposal and reuse.

Resumo: Este artigo apresenta os resultados de uma pesquisa que estudou as potencialidades de aproveitamento da madeira proveniente da poda e supressão de árvores urbanas. Nela procurou-se entender como o campo do design pode contribuir com o desenvolvimento da gestão sustentável em ambientes urbanos, apontando oportunidades promissoras observadas a partir do estudo de caso de indivíduos arbóreos da espécie invasora Leucaena leucocephala existentes no Campus Universitário Armando Sales de Oliveira. A pesquisa abrangeu: análise do sistema de poda e descarte de resíduos de árvores no local, necessidades e infraestrutura existentes junto aos cursos de design e arquitetura; estudo sobre sistemas de aproveitamento de madeira urbana e sobre as características da espécie objeto da investigação; testes, ensaios físicos e mecânicos; e experimentos aplicando as principais operações da marcenaria tradicional nos galhos coletados. Verificou-se que o material poderia ser utilizado em atividades acadêmicas, reduzindo seu descarte e suprindo parte da demanda local existente.

Palavras-chave: valorização de resíduos; arborização urbana; leucena; gestão ambiental.

Abstract: This paper presents the results of a research that studied the potential of using wood obtained from urban trees pruning and removal and tried to understand how the design field can contribute to the development of the sustainable management in urban environments, pointing promising opportunities observed through the case study of trees individuals from the invasive species Leucaena leucocephala, found in the University of Sao Paulo s Armando Sales de Oliveira campus. The work implied an analysis of the pruning and disposal system of this kind of residue at the site, as well as the existing infrastructure used by the graduation courses in design and architecture; study on urban wood valuation systems and on the characteristics of the species under investigation; physical and mechanical tests and experiments with collected branches. It was found that the material could be used in academic activities, reducing its disposal and supplying part of the existing local demand.