Rebound effects remain an overlooked but critical challenge in circular economy transitions. While existing research predominantly frames rebound effects as economic, behavioural or technological phenomena, these perspectives fail to fully account for the social and material dynamics through which rebounds emerge. This commentary argues that social practice theories offer a more systemic approach to understanding rebound effects by shifting focus from individual decision-making and efficiency gains to the interconnections between everyday practices, temporal and spatial reordering, and systems of provision. We outline four key conceptual resources from social practice theories – recrafting practices, practice interconnections, temporal and spatial reordering, and systems of provision – that help explain how rebound effects unfold within circular consumption. We also discuss the methodological challenges of integrating social and material assessments of rebounds. Moving forward, we call for interdisciplinary and practice-based research to deepen empirical investigations into how circular consumption practices evolve and how their unintended consequences can be anticipated and mitigated. By embedding practice-theoretical insights into rebound research, future research and policies can contribute to more effective and systemic approaches to circular transformation.

This Commentary is part of a Special Issue titled, Everyday Circularities: Rethinking Consumption in the Circular Transformations, edited by Kersty Hobson and Mary Greene. ... Read more

This study examines how co-creation can facilitate the adoption of circular design strategies in product development, including longer-lasting products, repair, refurbishment and recycling. The research was conducted in collaboration with a multinational company producing small household goods. The goal of this research was to explore how the co-creation process can support the implementation of circular design strategies in the product development process. [...] ... Read more

This study explores the application of systemic design approaches used in a complex commercial context to create positive and sustainable change. The case study was a business case on sustainable parenthood, in which the company tried to balance its ambitions for environmental sustainability with the need to survive in a highly competitive market. In close collaboration with the internal business company stakeholders, a causal loop diagram was created. The diagram mapped relations between global relevant trends for emerging young adults within the DACH market, sustainability, and parenting as a business. Leverage points for systemic change were identified which were explored through in-depth user interviews (n=10). This process eventually identified ten systemic insights, translated into insight cards to facilitate business actions.

Based on these combined approaches, the MINT framework (Mapping Interventions and Narratives for Transformation) was developed, with a strong emphasis on co-creation, iteration, translation, and communication of systemic interventions. However, while the internal business stakeholders and company representatives appreciated the bird’s eye view that systemic design gave them, they were challenged by the methods’ abstract language and translation of systemic insights into concrete action. To address this, the developed framework utilized systemic design artefacts such as a storytelling map and user-centred insight cards to facilitate a more comprehensible systemic design approach.

Overall, this study provides a first attempt at creating an actionable systemic design framework that can be used in commercial settings to promote positive systemic change. Future research will require further validation. ... Read more

Airports, the essential hubs of global travel, have to cater for the increasing demands for air travel, with growing passenger numbers and the associated growth in resource consumption. While the aviation sector prioritizes reducing environmental impact in the air, substantial waste is generated at airports. This necessitates a critical examination of waste management practices, especially since a Circular Economy (CE) approach is gaining momentum within the aviation sector. This article introduces the Baseline Circular Airports Method (BCAM), a methodology developed and rigorously tested at Schiphol Amsterdam airport. BCAM systematically analyzes resource streams, considering composition and relevant stakeholders, treatment processes, and environmental impact. By doing so, it establishes strategic prioritization of resource streams for airports to perform focused and effective interventions. BCAM analysis reveals that the highest impact of operational resource streams are Residual, Plastic, Swill, Paper, and International Catering Waste (CAT1), and that corresponding waste management efficiencies can be determined. These outcomes serve as a baseline for ongoing monitoring, offering airports a starting point for strategic planning and assessing progress towards sustainable waste management and CE transitions. ... Read more

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 consumer products and the opportunities and barriers encountered by product developers in adopting these materials. A design analysis of 60 durable products containing bio-based plastics, and 12 company interviews, identified the pursuit of sustainability goals and targets as the primary driver for adopting bio-based plastics, despite uncertainties regarding their reduced environmental impact. The lack of knowledge of bio-based plastics and their properties contributes to the slow adoption of these materials. Furthermore, the lack of recycling infrastructure, the limited availability of the plastics, and higher costs compared to fossil-based alternatives, are significant barriers to adoption. Product developers face significant challenges in designing with bio-based plastics, but opportunities exist; for example, for the use of dedicated bio-based plastics with unique properties. When designing with bio-based plastics, product developers must think beyond the physical product and consider sourcing and recovery, which are not typically part of the conventional product design process. ... Read more

In response to the urgency of sustainability challenges, there is a growing recognition of the incumbent firm’s role to engage in sustainable transitions. This paper explores the potential of systemic design as an approach for incumbent firms to facilitate sustainability transitions.

A systematic literature review was conducted, focusing on research contributions between 2000 and 2023 in Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. To synergize the review, the TCCM typology (Theory, Context, Characteristics, and Methods) was applied.

The analysis contrasts systemic design interventions in commercial and non-commercial contexts. It has been found that existing research in a commercial environment primarily focuses on small to midsized (social) enterprises facilitating local circularity transitions. Differing from the non-commercial environment, where research focuses on diverse wicked societal problems.

By identifying this gap, this contribution aims to advocate for a holistic perspective and interventions addressing sustainability transitions in a commercial context and advance the role of incumbent firms to such transitions. By that this paper contributes to advancing understanding and practice in systemic design for sustainable transitions in a commercial context. ... Read more

In developing circular business models within complex value chains, collaboration with relevant stakeholders is essential. Based on a case study within the automotive remanufacturing industry, this paper presents five benefits and five drawbacks of applying co-creation in complex value chains to develop new value propositions. ... Read more

Facilitating reverse logistics is a critical step in achieving a circular economy through remanufacturing and ensuring the recovery of critical raw materials. Despite the importance of these practices, they are currently not commonplace in many product sectors. As an exception, the reverse logistics and remanufacturing of car parts are longstanding but complex practices from which much can be learned to further the circular economy. This paper details learnings from a case study on remanufacturing car parts conducted together with a German (re)manufacturer and a reverse logistics service provider. Co-creation and interviews were utilized to design a digital platform that drastically simplified reverse logistics. The paper highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement and a focus on trust, transparency, and traceability alongside technology and legislation in optimizing reverse logistics. The insights gained from this case study extend to broader implications for the circular economy, emphasizing the role of design in addressing ‘soft’ factors for successful remanufacturing and the development of effective reverse logistics systems. ... Read more

This research uses systemic design to develop interventions for sustainable change in a business context. The primary objective is to address the communication and translation of systemic insights into practical business actions. Bridging the gap between research and practice is a major challenge in effectively communicating systemic insights and guiding actionable decision-making. Therefore, the research question guiding this study is: “How can systemic insights be effectively translated into feasible actions for businesses?” To address this question, a combination of established methods was applied in the business case study of sustainable parenthood.

The systemic analysis involved defining system boundaries, gathering data through desk research and interviews with business stakeholders, and creating a causal loop diagram. Further, Donella Meadows’ theory was applied to identify leverage points for behavioural change strategies. To make the complexity of the system map and its leverage points comprehensible for stakeholders, it was translated into a story map and subsequently into insight cards. In-depth validation and analysis of the systemic insights were done through qualitative user interviews (n=10).

The main contribution of this paper is the use of insight cards, which offer a tangible and accessible format for conveying systemic insights. The cards allow the communication of complex systemic language and bridge research and practice. However, while insight cards were a valuable tool for the development of concrete solutions, further strategic considerations are needed. Thus, the study highlights the need for further research in effective communication strategies and systemic language to facilitate the translation of systemic insights into tangible business actions. ... Read more

Having directly observed one of the most rapidly spreading global pandemics, we understand more than ever the power of contagion. In today’s interconnected world, trends originating in one corner, whether it’s a disease, clothing fashion, or an online social media challenge, can swiftly gain momentum on the opposite side of the globe, often within a matter of days or even hours. This rapid diffusion is enabled by our globalised world and developments in technology and ICT. Social networks and social influence are strong influencers in shaping our attitudes and behaviour. However, this influence can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it brings people and cultures together, it facilitates the exchange of information and resources. On the other hand, it can be easily exploited to spread misinformation and exert pressure on individuals to engage in negative behaviours like smoking or violence. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as ‘social contagion.’

In this handbook you can find the result of ENRGISED: Engaging Residents in green energy investments through social networks, complexity and design. In 2019 we saw an impasse in the Dutch energy transition, where many technologies were available but not many people were taking action. Since then, global events, such as Covid 19 and the invasion of Ukraine, have disrupted our world and the energy market. In the midst of these changes we conducted our research. Between 2020 and 2023, we studied the use of social contagion - social influence and the effect of social networks - towards the energy transition in neighbourhoods in the Netherlands. ... Read more

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 interviews with six course teachers. The findings revealed that students preferred the on-campus versions over the online course components. They indicated the perceived lack of motivation, lack of sense of community, and a high workload as influencing factors. Teachers indicated the lack of connection with students as a drawback to online education but identified advantages to their teaching and the student’s learning experience. Suggestions for addressing an optimal blended course format are provided. ... Read more

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 highlights five benefits, such as the ability to develop value-adding services for repairs and supporting each of them with user citations. Furthermore, we interviewed the project team a year into product development to assess the uptake by the company and the impact co-creation had on their design process. Based on these findings, we present a conceptual model that identifies the tangible impacts of co-creation and visualizes at what stages and levels co-creation can impact both the development of product-service systems and a company’s shift along the servitization continuum. ... Read more

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 automotive aftermarket. Over the last fifty years a mature, but also highly complex, market has developed. The reverse logistics of these cores substantially increases the complexity and costs of the remanufacturing process due to the fact that they are repeatedly shipped, handled, (re)identified and (re)assessed for quality and their remanufacturability by different actors within the supply chain. This is due to the fact that most cores are returned along the exact same route that the (remanufactured) replacement part took in the forward logistics, using a so called ‘surcharge’ or ‘deposit’ system. Core broker networks are used to fill in the gaps where not enough cores are coming in through the surcharge system. Together, this forms a complicated network. The current setup has benefits, e.g. with regards to customer relationships and higher return rates, but also provides the necessary challenges. To identify these benefits and challenges, as well as the needs of different stakeholders within the supply chain, a series of co-creation sessions were held with different actors. This paper presents the results of two sessions. This first was with a wholesaler, the second with several core brokers and a service provider. New insights were gained on the landscape of reverse logistics of automotive cores and the challenges different stakeholders are facing. These are presented in the paper in graphic overviews. Challenges include a lack of transparency and traceability leading to distrust, poor identification possibilities of cores, as well as threats from cheap infill and copies. With these results, new value propositions for the different stakeholders were developed. These were used to design and pilot an online platform together with a single service provider. The platform aims to benefit the different stakeholders while simultaneously reducing the complexity of the reverse logistics by identifying and evaluating cores only once before being directly shipped to their final destination. The paper concludes by highlighting the opportunities and challenges that the remanufacturing market is facing, based on the insights gathered from different stakeholders, and the implications for the future of the remanufacturing industry and policy. ... Read more

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 process, user’s needs, concerns and desires were identified and translated into potential opportunities and barriers concerning the acceptance of circular product-service-systems for washing machines. The paper details the method used in the co-creation process and consecutively highlights six key benefits of using co-creation in the development of circular product-service systems and exemplify them with citations from users. Examples of these benefits are the added value that the product-service systems can give over classic ownership models, the value propositions that can form an entry point for users to be interested in the service, as well as how pricing and feedback schemes could accommodate different users and their needs and desires. In closing, the paper addresses the implications of these benefits, relate them to past literature, but also raise a number of questions and considerations in the application of co-creation for the development of circular product-service propositions. ... Read more

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 study example to illustrate the implementation in practice. ... Read more

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-related questions, after which it gives a recommendation for one or more specific circular design strategies. The advantage of a practice-based tool is that the practical relevance is, in all likelihood, high. The disadvantage, however, is the lack of scientific validation. This paper presents a literature review of the decision variables and heuristics of the Circular Pathfinder, with the aim to uncover any discrepancies between practice and literature. The main finding is that the focus on practical usefulness of the tool has led to excessive reduction of the complexity inherent in strategic circular design decisions. Recommendations for improving the Circular Pathfinder tool are given. ... Read more

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 production, use and disposal (einvested). To determine whether esaved>einvested, a lifecycle assessment was conducted comparing three HEMS in six usage scenarios. The results show that the impact is dependent on the type of HEMS, and that the benefits do not always outweigh the (environmental) costs. ... Read more