Bio-Based Plastics in Product Design: The State of the Art and Challenges to Overcome

Replacing fossil-based feedstock with renewable alternatives is a crucial step towards a circular economy. The bio-based plastics currently on the market are predominantly used in single-use applications, with remarkably limited uptake in durable products. This study explores the current state of the art of bio-based plastic use in durable...

Shifting from blended to online learning: Students’ and teachers’ perspectives

The Covid-19 outbreak forced many universities across the world to transition from a traditional or blended format to fully online education. This paper presents a case study on the transition to an online education format for a circular design course. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a survey with 26 students and...

The Impact of Co-Creation on the Design of Circular Product-Service Systems: Learnings from a Case Study with Washing Machines

Designers play an important role in service transformation and the development of product-service systems by applying co-creation methods. This paper presents a case of how we applied co-creation in practice and the impact this has had on developing a circular product-service system. It details the method used in the co-creation process and...

The challenges faced in the reverse logistics of automotive cores: lessons from co-creation with stakeholders.

This paper presents the results of two co-creation sessions with stakeholders in the automotive aftermarket. The sessions were instigated as part of the EU project ReCiPSS to develop a new service to simplify the reverse logistics of automotive cores purposed for remanufacturing. Remanufacturing car parts is a longstanding practice within the...

Hyaluronan biopolymers release water upon pH-induced gelation

We study the relation between the macroscopic viscoelastic properties of aqueous hyaluronan polymer solutions and the molecular-scale dynamics of water using rheology measurements, differential dynamic microscopy, and polarization-resolved infrared pump-probe spectroscopy. We observe that the addition of hyaluronan to water leads to a slowing...

Co-creating circular product-service systems for long-lasting washing machines

This paper presents the result of a co-creation and context mapping study amongst seventeen washing machines users. The users had widely varying experiences with products offered through alternative ownership models, including three who were active users of a washing machine with pay-per-use or monthly subscription model. Through the co-creation...

ResCoM Design Methodology for Multiple Lifecycle Products

By combining the lessons learned from the four ResCoM industrial cases, a generic methodology was developed for other companies that want to engage in the development of multiple-lifecycle products. This report describes a stepwise approach for developing such products. The approach includes a suite of design tools as well as a practical case...

The circular pathfinder: Development and evaluation of a practice-based tool for selecting circular design strategies

The Circular Pathfinder tool, which provides guidance to companies looking for appropriate circular design strategies, was developed based on OEM (original equipment manufacturer) case studies. Ease of use was one of the main requirements during development of the tool, resulting in a software-based guide that asks a maximum of ten product...

Assessing the overall life cycle impact of home energy management systems

An ever-increasing body of research explores the effectiveness of Home Energy Management systems (HEMS) in achieving energy savings. To date, however, the overall life cycle impact of the HEMS itself has not been taken into account. Thus, no assessment has been made whether the amount of energy saved (esaved) outweighs the energy needed for...

Home energy monitors: impact over the medium-term

The mediating role of Home Energy Management Systems