Design Guidelines Developed from Environmental Assessments: A Design Tool for Resource-Efficient Products
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2020

The circular economy provides a potential solution to the take-make-dispose model of resource use that currently characterizes the economy. Guidelines for the circular economy often consist of prioritized lists of measures to achieve resource efficiency. However, for the purpose of designing products, such general prioritizations of measures are less useful. Instead, the tool developed in this study is based on learnings from numerous life cycle assessments and provides design recommendations for the improved resource efficiency of products based on product characteristics. The tool includes measures over the whole lifecycle of different products that lead to improved resource efficiency. The tool also demonstrates how different product types, such as different varieties of durable and consumable products, can become more resource-efficient and when trade-offs occur over the lifecycle of a product. The tool was tested in a design case where its usefulness and usability were evaluated using a comparative life cycle assessment and a questionnaire. The evaluation shows the tool is informative and provides design suggestions that lead to improved resource efficiency. The tool is considered usable and could be implemented in design practice.

durable products

design guidelines

design tool

resource efficiency

life cycle assessment

circular economy

consumable products

Författare

Siri Willskytt

Chalmers, Teknikens ekonomi och organisation, Environmental Systems Analysis

Sergio A. Brambila-Macias

Linköpings universitet

Sustainability

20711050 (eISSN)

Vol. 12 12 4953

Ämneskategorier

Produktionsteknik, arbetsvetenskap och ergonomi

Miljöledning

Ekonomi och näringsliv

DOI

10.3390/su12124953

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2020-12-28