The circular economy is increasingly acknowledged worldwide, including in healthcare. It focuses on extending the lifespan and value of products and materials by ensuring their continuous use within the system. This approach is crucial as it shifts away from the prevalent "take-use-dispose" linear model. Given the rapid growth and mounting pressures on healthcare systems, adopting a circular economy is essential to improving sustainability and ensuring broader access to healthcare.

In healthcare, particularly in low-resource settings in Sub-Saharan Africa, circular economy principles can improve access to medical devices and overall healthcare. As the global awareness of health as a fundamental human right grows, there is an increasing push towards universal health access. However, this access is heavily dependent on the availability of medical equipment and qualified medical staff. Unfortunately, medical devices and healthcare technologies are often inaccessible in low-resource settings. Not only does this undermine healthcare delivery, but it sometimes also results in environmental issues, such as the improper disposal of non-functional devices and medical waste, which leads to the loss of valuable materials.

Recent trends in medical device design are shifting from a linear model towards a circular economy approach. This shift aims to ensure that devices are robust, durable, reusable and have an extended lifespan to provide healthcare for all. However, the full implications and complexities of integrating circular economy principles into medical device design in low-resource contexts, is poorly understood. This thesis addresses these through a series of studies focused on designing and implementing medical devices in low-resource settings while incorporating circular economy principles.

The first study is a foundational study which provides a literature review of how circular economy principles have been applied in designing medical devices for low resource settings in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study highlights existing practices such as durability, maintenance, and repair that enhance the longevity of medical devices. However, it also identifies a notable gap in the consideration of refurbishment, re-manufacturing, and recycling in these designs. Building on this, the second study utilises a practical framework to design a medical device from a circular economy perspective, examining the complexities and trade-offs involved. It introduces the Chloe Syringe Extension Device (Chloe SED®), designed to provide pain relief medication during gynaecological procedures in Kenya. The study identifies trade-offs between, on the one hand, material selection, cost price, durability, reprocessing methods and costs, and on the other hand environmental impact, highlighting the need for ongoing assessment to ensure the device remains accessible, affordable, and environmentally sustainable.

The third study assesses the implementation of Chloe SED® in routine care through a large-scale clinical trial. The findings show that the device performs comparably to standard care, integrates well into existing procedures, and has potential to enhance healthcare access. This study highlights the importance of aligning medical device design with local healthcare systems to ensure effective integration and impact. The fourth study explores the designer’s journey in creating and implementing Chloe SED®. This study highlights the diverse roles a designer must assume: collaborator, facilitator, knowledge broker, policy advocate, and entrepreneur, while recognising the need to shift between these roles. The study underscores the iterative nature of the design process and the necessity for ongoing stakeholder engagement to achieve successful adoption and integration of new devices into healthcare systems.

This thesis provides an in-depth analysis of designing and implementing medical devices for low-resource settings in Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on circular economy principles. It highlights the significance of context-specific design, the challenges of integrating new devices into routine care, and the essential roles of designers in fostering innovation and driving societal change.@en

This graduation project focuses on enhancing the sustainability of the Laerdal suction canister by developing a new reusable canister design for the LCSU, with a design emphasis on personal use. The design report comprises eight chapters, detailing the design research, iteration, and final proposed design.

This thesis explores the future of the solar mounting industry by constructing and assessing four product-scenarios. The goal was to assess how these scenarios could influence the development of a climate neutral solar mounting product by 2040.

• Standardized Mass Energy (SME): This scenario envisions a future where solar energy systems are mass-produced and standardized to efficiently meet global energy demands. The focus is on uniform, large-scale, high-efficiency solar mounting products that can be deployed rapidly. Governments and large corporations drive this scenario, prioritizing speed and efficiency in installation, while achieving climate neutral products by application of green steel.
If international cooperation remains strong and the focus on large-scale infrastructure continues. Stakeholder assessment indicates that this scenario is possible due to current market trends favouring scalability and cost-efficiency. But consolidation might eliminate their margins.
• Circular Energy (CE): This scenario prioritizes sustainability through a reuse-system for solar panels, aligning with the circular economy principles. Solar mounting services create modular, reusable systems, being climate neutral in prioritising reuse and minimising green steel production. The spatial arrangement alternates solar with green roofs and urban gardens, promoting local energy distribution. While this scenario is desirable, it faces challenges in market acceptance and requires significant shifts in political and economic frameworks. Stakeholder assessment suggests elements of this scenario could unfold, if there is a strong policy push towards circular economy from society.
• Scramble for Energy (SfE): This scenario envisions a chaotic and competitive market driven by geopolitical tensions and the need for energy security. Solar products vary in quality, with customers prioritizing affordability and speed over sustainability, leaving no securance of a climate neutral product. The spatial arrangement is also chaotic, leaving no room for nature, due to the pressures of energy scarcity and instability. The stakeholder assessment reveals that this scenario is highly likely in the near future, particularly if global energy markets become more fragmented and nations keep prioritising self-sufficiency over collaboration.
• Power to People (PtP): This scenario focuses on social equity, with solar energy being distributed to balance industry and citizen needs. With international failure in climate action, the emphasis is on domestic production and local community empowerment. Solar installations are integrated with multifunctional benefits as climate adaption or water-management, creating collective responsibility. While this scenario is highly desirable for sales, it demands significant restructuring of industry practices and societal norms. Stakeholder assessment indicates this scenario could unfold (after SfE has,) if there develops a societal movement towards communal energy equality and local wealth, supported by progressive policies.

The scenarios provided for a roadmap construction for the solar mounting company Sunbeam. By understanding potential futures, Sunbeam can strategically navigate the evolving mounting industry, balancing immediate product-demands with product interventions inspired by a long-term climate neutral vision. The roadmap allows Sunbeam to lead with a strategy of collaborations and products that stimulate envisioned system development.

Repair is an essential aspect of the circular economy and has been discussed numerously. However, the focus has been primarily on the technical possibility of repair, not on willingness to repair (WTR). As a result, many people do not consider repair an option since technical feasibility does not always translate to repair behaviour. This is especially prevalent in electronics. Therefore, this study explored opportunities to stimulate people who typically do not repair electronic devices to increase their WTR.

Seven barriers of WTR were found: awareness, desire for new products, lack of engagement, lack of trust in repair, fear for further failures, lack of clarity, and lack of attachment. Additionally, products that are less likely to be repaired are either ‘up-to-date’ (valued for their self and social identity) or ‘workhorse’ items (valued for their functionality and long lifespan). These factors influence consumer decisions about repair. The study used the I-Change model to analyse consumer behaviour and identify opportunities to stimulate WTR.

Using these four opportunities, a new interaction concept was developed. This concept aims to make people feel proud, excited, and eager to share their experiences. Similar to how when you want to show your friends how well you can drive after you get your driver’s license. This approach guided the design direction and established criteria for the final concept.

In the development phase, four concepts were discussed, and two were selected based on the criteria to be combined into one: the Made-By-You product service system (PSS). This concept allows users to design and assemble their electronics, supported by an application that centralises and streamlines information on assembly and repair. This approach aims to raise users’ awareness of the product’s components and indirectly encourage repair considerations. Providing a hub for all product-related information makes the repair process more straightforward and accessible.

A proof of concept was developed to demonstrate the feasibility of translating this concept into a tangible product. For this, a Senseo coffee machine was redesigned to fit the Made-By-You concept. The redesign involved minor design changes to enhance “assemble-ability,” but the key change was how the product was presented to the customer. The parts should arrive in preassembled units, so the assembly process does not feel long or complicated.

The assembly and repair of the product are supported by the Made-By-You application, which offers a clear method for users to gather information. It provides manuals enhanced with digital features to improve the user experience, repair diagnostic tools, recommendations, and expectations for the user journey.

After assessing the proof of concept against the criteria, it demonstrates that the Made-By-You concept can be translated into a tangible product. However, due to the project’s time constraints, a user test could not be conducted, which could have provided valuable insights into its effectiveness. Despite this limitation, this research represents progress towards enhancing WTR. Future studies could expand upon and test the concept, while other designers might leverage the identified barriers and opportunities to design their own solutions.

Each year, billions of medical injections are administered through the use of self-injectors. These devices allow patients to self-administer their injectable medication. Globally, aging populations coupled with a rise in chronic diseases and pressures on healthcare systems are leading to increased prescriptions of biologics and therapeutics to manage these conditions.
This trend is resulting in steady growth in the popularity of self-injection devices. However, the vast majority of these injectors are single-use disposable devices, contributing significantly to the waste generated within the healthcare sector. The circular economy, rooted in principles of designing out waste and using waste as a resource, might offer a solution. Possible circular strategies include reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling. However, given the complexity of the healthcare supply chain and the stringent focus on safety and hygiene within the industry, these strategies still face challenges that need to be overcome.

This thesis explored the redesign of auto-injectors to integrate circular economy (CE) principles, focusing on the Ypsomate auto-injector. Assigned by pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson (J&J), who have shown interest in developing circular systems for self-injectors, this study aimed to make CE design principles tangible for J&J. Key research questions addressed included identifying barriers and opportunities for CE in disposable self-injectors and applying potential circular strategies to redesign the Ypsomate.

The project followed a creative problem-solving approach involving literature research, expert interviews, co-creation and a field visit to J&J's innovation site. Findings highlighted industry trends focus on patient safety and usability as well as several sustainability developments. However, end-of-life design considerations remain underexplored. The study identified major barriers to CE integration, such as the challenge of combining safety with reuse strategies due to the low value and high hygiene criticality of auto-injectors.

The most promising opportunity was found in the safe, cost-effective separation of hygiene-critical from non-critical components, reducing reprocessing requirements. An in-depth product analysis of the Ypsomate identified relevant circular strategies: Design for Recycling, Disassembly, Component Reuse, and Extended Life. A redesign concept, the MediLoop was developed and prototyped to demonstrate the feasibility of significantly improving CE strategies for end-of-life recovery.

The existing CoreLine office luminaire has been redesigned for improved recycling. Shredding experiments have shed light on the recyclability of the current product. The main issues have been identified and are solved in the proposed redesign.

Besides improved recyclability, the proposed redesign offers additional benefits to Signify. Replacing the steel of the backplate and the aluminum of the frame by polystyrene is expected to significantly reduce the cost price of the product. Also, moving away from metals can make Signify less vulnerable to potential metal scarcity in the future.

An important challenge in further development of the concept is the issue of flame retardants and their impact on recyclability of the product. Given that the intention of redesigning the CoreLine luminaire was to improve its recyclability, it would be a shame if the redesigned product would actually be worse for recycling due to flame retardants. A range of directions to address this problem have been proposed.

Lastly, a set of guidelines have been created which serve to aid designers in designing recyclable luminaires. These guidelines are based on all the learnings acquired throughout the project regarding component connection and material selection.

This research project explores the environmental issue of microplastic pollution, specifically focusing on its release from shoe soles into natural ecosystems. Despite increasing global awareness of microplastics, the particular impact of footwear, especially those used for outdoor activities in natural areas like trail running, has been largely overlooked. Microplastics released in these settings can directly impact ecosystems, affecting wildlife and soil health. This study investigates the potential of bio-based, biodegradable plastics, which can decompose harmlessly in soil, as an alternative material for trail running shoe soles. The aim is to mitigate harmful microplastic pollution and explore how the design of trail running shoes can be adapted to incorporate bio-based, biodegradable plastics.

The project begins by examining the problem of microplastic pollution, its origins, consequences, and the role of footwear. It distinguishes the difference between bio-based and petroleum-based plastics and the role of bio-based biodegradable and compostable plastics in embracing a circular economy. Through exploratory research, design iterations, prototyping, and critical analysis, this study evaluates the feasibility of using bio-based, biodegradable plastics in manufacturing trail running shoe soles. In fact, shoe soles have been identified as the primary source of microplastic pollution due to the constant abrasion with the ground.

A research was conducted in order to identify a bio-based soil-biodegradable plastic which could replace the currently used synthetic rubber. In terms of performance and environmental sustainability, PHA stands as the closest in meeting these criteria, yet it is not fully suitable for shoe soles application due to its limited flexibility.
Nevertheless, the project conceptualises “BioStep”, a trail running shoe that features a replaceable biodegradable outsole. The usage of such an outsole does not release any harmful microplastic when used during outdoor activities or in the decomposition process at the end of its lifespan.

This project sets the basis for the development of bio-based soil-biodegradable shoe soles for trail running shoes. Further research will be needed to identify a ready-to-use material and to address its performance in running scenarios.
Finally, this study emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts among designers, manufacturers, and material scientists to mitigate microplastic pollution and to set the path towards more sustainable footwear.

Plastics have become indispensable in modern life due to their versatility and affordability. However, their widespread use has resulted in far-reaching environmental damage, including the accumulation of plastic waste, fossil fuel depletion, and significant greenhouse gas emissions. Bio-based plastics have been proposed as a sustainable, circular solution to the environmental issues associated with plastics. However, bio-based plastics are not implicitly sustainable or circular. These aspects are influenced by how a plastic is produced and how it is recovered at end-of-life, implying that careful attention needs to be paid to material development and product design. This thesis explores the sustainability and circularity of bio-based plastics by looking at: how they are perceived by value chain actors, potential recovery pathways in a circular economy, and environmental impact.


Although bio-based plastics have the potential to be sustainable, the emissions associated with producing them depend heavily on the biomass sourcing. At the same time, bio-based plastics are not de-facto biodegradable and thus efficient recovery at end-of-life needs to be guaranteed. Circular product design with bio-based plastics requires careful consideration of biomass sourcing and recovery. Although much information regarding these aspects is still missing, the research presented in this dissertation provides some guidelines for circular product design with bio-based plastics. In order to reduce environmental impacts, bio-based plastics should be produced with agricultural by-products or with biomass types with a high conversion efficiency. Biomass for bio-based plastics should be cultivated with minimal use of land, water, chemicals and fossil fuels. Environmental impacts can be reduced further by using renewable energy in the production process. Product designers should also consider what recovery pathway they want to target at end-of-life of a product. The plastic composition and product architecture need to reflect the targeted recovery pathway.@en

Though cycling as a transportation method is widely seen as a sustainable method, professional cycling and racing are not. Though the first calls for sustainable action are made and the first efforts start to appear, not much has changed yet in the complex world of professional cycling.
This report describes the design of a sustainability strategy and plan for BEAT Cycling Club, a continental cycling team. As an innovative organisation that was founded to break through the status quo in professional cycling the sustainability journey fits BEAT. As one of the first teams taking sustainability seriously, the strategy helps BEAT to increase the quality of their sustainability actions beyond the ‘low-hanging fruits’ they have been tackling already.
The difficulty of starting a sustainability project is tackled by using the systemic design framework of the Design Council (2021) to guide innovation with a complex system like sustainability. The internal feeling of responsibility for sustainability of BEAT Cycling Club can be tackled by designing a strategy through a continuously diverging and converging process.
To help understand the sustainability context for BEAT Cycling Club and to guide the direction of the strategy, a (fast-track) life-cycle analysis is conducted. The results of this analysis are a set of emission hotspots: the actions and areas where most of BEAT’s emissions and environmental impact occur. These hotspots are used to further shape a strategy to tackle them.
This strategy is built through the design roadmapping methodology, resulting in a strategic and tactical roadmap. These are based on three horizons in which the role for BEAT in sustainability changes. These roadmaps are substantiated with a playbook that guides BEAT through the strategy and provides more detailed information about the steps that need to be taken. The playbook and roadmaps are not only strategic assets but are also important for BEAT to communicate their strategy with partners and other stakeholders.

Biogenic reefs built by mussels, oysters or other reef-building species are one of the most important biodiversity hotspots for estuarine and marine ecosystems providing food, shelter, and breeding grounds for a wide array of species. In the North Sea, one of the most important biogenic reef builders and ecosystem engineers is the European Flat Oyster. However, due to harmful fishing practices, habitat destruction and diseases, this once-abundant bivalve is now ecologically extinct and cannot provide crucial ecosystem services. If left without active intervention, oyster reefs have too few chances of regeneration, due to the current state of the seafloor in the North Sea and too few individuals in the environment. Therefore, active intervention is needed to bring back the shellfish reefs in The North Sea. Offshore windmill farms provide a refuge for marine ecosystems from fishing activities, which poses an important opportunity for biogenic reef restoration practices.

To understand the context of biogenic reef restoration better, multiple interviews with marine biology and ecology experts from ARK were conducted followed by a literature review and two field trips related to young oyster deployment to The North Sea. The gained insights were used to create a list of 12 design criteria grouped into four categories: Oyster survival, Scalability, Broader ecological success, Handling & deployment. According to these criteria, most of the current practices underperform in scalability due to high manufacturing, and operational costs, or provide inefficient oyster protection which hampers the success of shellfish reef restorations. Therefore, the design challenge to improve scalability and oyster protection has been chosen as the priority.

Multiple design directions and ideas have been explored using Research by Design approach while employing Whole System Mapping and Biomimicry methods with Low- and high-fidelity prototypes. Using an iterative approach and evaluating the design ideas, the solution space has been narrowed down to a final design, the unit: two steel frame gabions are connected in a double-diamond position and placed between two display pallets with all assembly tightly secured with a cotton lashing. Multiple assemblies are connected in a row with a leading rope attached to an anchor. When the ship sails, the anchor is thrown out on the seafloor and eventually pulls all units down to the seafloor. The final design was evaluated according to the same 12 criteria. In comparison to previously discussed solutions, the final design is more scalable in terms of costs and time for larger marine restoration areas and focuses on finding balance throughout the design criteria instead of being only effective in certain aspects. In addition to introducing back the Flat Oysters, the new structures provide various microhabitats for a wide array of other benthic species to grow or shelter from the water currents, amplifying positive effects on the marine ecosystem. Several theoretical and structural integrity tests have been done to determine the effectiveness of the new design. Further research, such as offshore field studies, is needed to determine how this new design affects young oyster survival and other benthic species.

This graduation project explored how the circular economy could be implemented for single-use surgical devices like the endocutter. Design for reprocessing appears to be the best strategy, but modular solutions should be considered when reprocessing the entire device is not feasible. The project followed a transition management approach; a sustainable future is envisioned for the industry, and through backcasting a radical but short-term feasible solution is designed which could help us move towards this future. Conceptual service design “MedFlo” helps healthcare facilities overcome barriers in the implementation of modular devices into their workflow and logistics, by providing access to a safe and complete inventory of devices. MedFlo can help decrease the environmental and waste footprint of medical devices, create more resilient supply chains, stimulate circular design initiatives and serves as an example of how the circular economy can be implemented in the MedTech industry.

This study explores the environmental sustainability of digital health devices, specifically smart pillboxes, which are designed to help patients manage their medication, improve their health, and reduce medication non-adherence. The use of such devices has increased electronic and plastic waste and has resulted in a higher demand for critical raw materials, raising questions about their potential environmental impacts. The Digital Health in Circular Economy (DiCE) project aims to address these issues by examining the environmental sustainability of digital health devices and providing solutions to reduce their impact on the environment. This research uses Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Disassembly Map, Recovery Assessment, and Circular Product Readiness methods to assess the environmental impact of smart pillboxes at both product and functional levels. The study examines the potential environmental impact of the product's materials, production, use, and end-of-life disposal. The research suggests improvements to increase the product's environmental sustainability, such as the use of screws instead of snap fits to attach the sub-assemblies, fixating the battery in a designated spot to prevent detaching, and promoting environmentally desirable habits, such as prolonging battery life and guiding end-of-life recovery of the product. The study concludes that there is potential for further improvement to increase the product's environmental sustainability, which could lead to an improved overall health. While the current findings do not lead to absolute conclusions, this research provides a basis for comparing the environmental impact (in DALY) and benefits of digital health devices (in QALY).

The goal of this graduation project was to investigate if 3D printing could serve as a promising alternative for manufacturing spare parts needed for the re-manufacturing of diesel injection pumps. This project was conducted under the EU ReCiPSS project, along with the support of Robert Bosch GmbH. The proposition was investigated on three levels and posed the following research questions:

1.Can 3D printing produce spare parts for the pump at an acceptable cost and quality level compared to the existing manufacturing methods? (Feasibility)
2.Does spare part 3D printing make business sense for the Automotive Aftermarket Division of Bosch to pursue as a remanufacturing strategy? (Viability)
3.Is 3D printing for spare parts more environmentally friendly compared to the existing manufacturing methods? (Sustainability)

To answer these questions for the entire VP30 pump and fuel injection pumps in general would have been difficult. Thus, tools such as the Disassembly Map and the Hotspot Mapping tool were used to identify potential parts within the pump for which this initial investigation could take place. Using functional importance and environmental impact as criteria, the selection of two parts, an aluminium Locking Cover and an alloy steel Cam Plate were made.

Visits to the remanufacturing facility and Bosch’s 3D Competence Centre opened doors to investigate the technology, its limitations, organisational barriers, and future potential. The metal printed parts arrived and were analysed on the three pillars mentioned.

The investigation found that metal 3D printed parts can meet the desired performance specifications. However, post-processing treatment such as annealing, case hardening and some machining might be required for specialised functions. The costs of metal 3D printing are not yet competitive with conventional manufacturing and are viable only for specific scenarios. These scenarios take the shape of lack of suppliers, urgent part demand, high tooling costs, and so on. Moreover, the non-competitive cost also brings to fore the organisational barriers within Bosch. Primarily, the automotive release procedure which requires significant investment of time and money to make a change. Lastly, on the sustainability front, middle volume production (~200-1000 units) was shown to be more sustainable than conventional manufacturing for the same volume.

The investigation shows that in 2022, 3D printing metal spare parts is feasible but needs specific scenarios to be viable and sustainable. However, with improvements in technology and greater acceptance of 3D printing as a core industry technology, these pains can be resolved and allow for better and long-lasting products with lesser environmental impact. The advent of the 2030’s will be exciting in this regard.

Research
Disposable diapers require a large amount of new material and put a large pressure on Dutch waste disposal services. Washable diapers are a cheaper and supposedly more environmentally friendly alternative to disposables. Yet they are a niche product. This project aims to design a product service for Toddy to increase the acceptance and adoption of reusable diapers.

After doing desktop research, semi structured interviews were done with current users and employees of day-cares who either use washable diapers or had used them in the past to see how washable diapers where purchased, used and perceived.

After gathering existing information and a series of in-dept interviews two main reasons were isolated: Unfamiliarity and unreliability. It was decided to focus on unfamiliarity.

Several ideas were generated and evaluated. This process was structured by focussing on Rogers’ theory of diffusion and finding solution principles. These are used to eventually find concepts and select the most viable one to develop further in the design phase.


Result
The baby gift box (Doorgeef doos in Dutch), is a product service combination that introduces families to washable diapers by offering diapers in a pregnancy box together with other reusable baby products for a reduced price. This box gives access to information on how to use the diapers and can be passed on to a friend or family member in the future.

The idea behind the final design is to conceptualise the box as a blank slate that people can decorate and personalise themselves. This way the box visually shows its legacy, reminding people of the shared responsibility of taking care and passing on the box. The simple cardboard box also fits within toddy brand identity, the design can be implemented quickly and is relatively cost effective.

The aim of the baby gift box is to get people to eventually buy a full washable diaper set from Toddy. Therefore, the gift box is made to guide people through the acquisition process. The box focuses on familiarising people with washable diapers by creating awareness of the product during the orientation phase and creating practical experience during the try-out phase. This is also done by linking the gift box to existing products and services provided by Toddy. To show the underlying process that facilitates the baby gift box, a service blueprint was made.

The Product Journey Map was developed through an iterative process, preceded by research on design methodologies and existing mapping methodologies such as the Customer Journey Map and Service Blueprint. By synthesising the research on design- and existing mapping methodologies, a vision of the Product Journey Map was developed and explored through four concepts. The concepts took inspiration from sustainable value mapping, the synergy between strategic disciplines, product obsolescence and end-of-life scenarios, and circular design methodologies. The concepts were prototyped with Castor Ventures and Gorenje. Castor Ventures is a Dutch company specialising in manufacturing industrial pushcarts used by supermarket chains like Albert Heijn. Gorenje is a Slovenian major appliance manufacturer and is the fourth largest manufacturer of household appliances in Europe. The synthesis of the prototype sessions and the PJM concepts resulted in a final PJM concept presented in the Product Journey Map playbook.

This project proposes a no-waste, reusable packaging approach for networking equipment used in KPN’s business-to-business market. The goal of this project was to create a first proof of concept of reusable packaging in KPN’s logistical and manual processes, and therefore create a stepping stone towards further scaling-up reusable packaging across their operation.

KPN, the leading telecom company in the Netherlands, wants to accelerate the journey to become near 100% circular by 2025, in which the reduction of packaging waste plays an important role. To reduce this to virtually zero, a reusable packaging approach is suggested. Additionally, research showed that the return logistics of a number of B2B services are hindered due to a lack of packaging, which causes product damage and a delayed turnaround time.

With insight from the research a packaging prototype was designed and developed to be tested in a first pilot. A ‘ reusable messenger bag’ concept was selected, as it is durable, relatively cheap, size efficient and an already known, and valued packaging concept among mechanics and the refurbishment partner. To support the distribution of the packaging in an effective way, a logistic concept is proposed. This mechanic-centred system architecture ensures the availability of packaging at all times, potentially solving the return issues that were found in the research.

In the pilot, the accessibility of logistics, workflow of employees and the functionality of the product are tested in an actual order of a popular B2B service of KPN. The pilot resulted in a successful proof of concept and a first stepping stone towards the implementation of a zero-waste, reusable packaging approach for KPN. With a small-scale, technical implementation of this concept, it was shown that reusable packaging has the potential to not only reduce packaging waste, but also increase the workflow of involved stakeholders, improve the return logistics of electronics and therefore also reduce costs. This resulted in a positive and profitable business case for further development of this concept.

The biggest limitation was the small and narrow scope of testing (n=1). This made it difficult to actually validate if the return logistics were improved by a reusable packaging, as logistics manifest itself at scale. As a further roll-out of the concept shows to be interesting for KPN, the first next step would be to scale up the testing over the entire VPN service (±1000 orders yearly) to validate the logistic concept and functionality of the product.

With the rapid rise in consumption and production, natural resources are becoming increasingly scarce. As the prevalence of the linear economy leads to neglect in the product end-of-use (EOU) phase, moving towards a circular economy (CE) can maximize the product value by recovering and reusing.
As one of the circular strategies applied by some industries, the take-back program could enable a company to take back used products from consumers and reintroduce them to the production cycle, thereby facilitating the CE. However, if consumers rarely bring back EOU products, manufacturers can hardly close the loop (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2013).
This thesis project collaborates with Philips, aiming to motivate Philips Grooming consumers to return used products to Philips so that devices can be recycled or refurbish. However, consumers rarely return the device. Therefore, this project intends to explore how an effective take-back program can be developed to change Grooming consumers’ behaviour towards returning.
Fogg behaviour model is the key methodology supporting the project research. It was used for exploring the relationship between users’ behaviour and the influencing factors, thereby providing valuable insights for the design direction. Taking Fogg behaviour model as a starting point, service safari, benchmarking, and in-depth user interviews were conducted to understand the service context and target group behaviour. The data obtained from these activities were further analysed, synthesised, and formulated to executive design directions.
This project ends up with a final service concept, “Philips Grooming Take-back”, which applies various design interventions and service strategies to create a painless and seamless divestment experience for users by meeting different values that each individual needs. The concept could also create long-term value for Philips, other stakeholders, and the environment. In addition to the service concept, this project has addressed systematic design opportunities and requirements for behaviour change in the Grooming divestment context, which could be potentially leveraged for other relevant initiatives of Philips Personal Health.

This project aims to reduce the environmental impact of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the department which provides constant care to critical patients. One of the most common and wasteful ICU procedures is intubation. Intubation is needed when patients cannot breathe by themselves. Can we design a circular intubation procedure as a catalyser for systemic change towards circular ICUs? This project aims to design a pilot system to initiate the transition towards circular intubations.

Research was done to understand better the current waste created by the ICU. A set of challenges derived from the research were used to ideate on different systems which could improve the ICU sustainability. It was decided to further detail a system that allows reuse of intubation devices, articulating the first pilot around a specific product, the video laryngoscope. This video laryngoscope is used to intubate patients. It is composed of various plastics and electronics and has a relatively high procurement cost. Nevertheless, it is a single-use device, disposed of and incinerated after a few minutes of use.

Ideation on a system enabling a safe and hassle-free reuse of the video laryngoscope at the ICU with a lower environmental impact was done. Two pilot systems were proposed: 

The first proposal, reduce, enables Erasmus MC to reuse the current video laryngoscope in use at the ICU. Adding a removable plastic cover to the device enables reuse of the device. By not binging the device in direct contact with the patient, fewer reprocessing steps will be required since fewer microorganisms will get in contact with the video laryngoscope. The second proposal, reuse, offers the complete reuse of a modular video laryngoscope. The main body would be, likewise the first proposal, reprocessed after not having been in contact with the patient. A hardcover would surround the product and would be redesigned to allow reuse and traceability of the number of reprocessing cycles it has gone through. Reprocessing in both proposals could be done at the ICU. Not relying on the sterilization department allows the ICU to be resilient and to increase devices availability.The use of a novel reprocessing technique, UVC radiations, is proposed. Compared to current reprocessing techniques, it consumes less water, electricity, and space. In addition, UVC reprocessing allows a high level of automation of the process, increasing its safety and reducing the hassle for ICU workers. 
Outcomes

A better understanding of the healthcare complexity and impact has been achieved. An action plan towards a pilot system is proposed, with which CO2 emissions, amount of waste and costs for the hospital would be reduced compared to the current single-use system. Future scale-up of the reuse system to other devices is envisioned, as well as replicating it into other Erasmus MC departments. Next to this pilot focusing on reuse, a set of complementary opportunities areas to introduce circularity to the ICU are summarized in a booklet.

Context

In a society where sustainability is becoming more and more relevant, disposable single use diapers are still used by 95% of parents. Every baby uses approximately 4000 diapers in their first 2,5 years of life. This is close to 160 kilos of material that is used once and then discarded. As the use of disposable diapers only increases with the increasing number of births yearly worldwide, the amount of material needed to sustain the diaper market is enormous. The Future Diaper Project initiated this research with as the main goal to develop a more sustainable disposable diaper. Can disposable diapers be designed to have lower environmental impact, reduced material use and be made renewable? To prevent the design of unusable futuristic designs an extra focus was placed on user experience. Currently disposable diapers can be named as the essence of convenience, low effort and easy disposal. Can a new diaper both be more sustainable while preserving this user experience? This project proposes a new concept to revolutionize the future of the disposable diaper market.

Approach

The main approach of this project lies in the classic double diamond model, consisting of research & analysis (discover), define, conceptualization (develop) and deliver (embodiment and final product). The research and analysis phase allowed the creation of a clear vision, list of requirements and provided a strong foundation for ideation. Through extensive desk research, talking with parents, observation and analysis of impacts through creating a diaper model (Excel) with the material database of Granta Edupack (previously CES). With a clear path ahead created by the analysis, ideation of concepts was started, generating various ideas that could reduce diaper impact. Emphasis lied on embodiment to validate concepts, as well as analyzing impact with the previously created diaper impact model. Implementing low-fidelity prototypes combined with the numerical approach of the model proved to deliver time efficient insights and results.

Results

The result of this project is a user-tested, new diaper system, that potentially reduces the CO₂ emission with 63% and the water use with 18%. The product combines three approaches of making a diaper more sustainable: reusing parts, reducing material use and changing the material composition to biobased materials. The final concept reuses parts of the diaper that most often do not get dirty in use. It combines this with separating day and night capacity of absorbency. The final step taken in this concept is the material composition, which is changed to be almost completely biobased. By being both reusable as well as disposable the diaper stays close to the convenience level parents of today count on, giving them an alternative that is more sustainable without having to compromise on convenience. The end result is a biobased and reusable and disposable diaper system stripped of all unnecessary material, that reduces environmental impact without compromising the user experience.

One of the key business models Gorenje andASKO have researched upon is a service model of circular washing machine under a pay per use (PPU) business model. PPU business models are currently mostly used within shared washing rooms, which is also the segment in which ASKO will enter withtheir first circular washing machines. However, even though PPU business models help nudge sustainable consumer behaviour, it can also have negative effects on consumer acceptance towards PSS and create negative emotional connections towards the brand itself. Key competitors currently offer circular products under PPU or leasing business models, but lack differentiation and clear unique selling points. To date, most competitors in the market struggle to offer new experiences with a circular product launch and seem to solely meet the requirements of potential regulations. However, this also offers an opportunity towards ASKO, as they have a chance to reposition their brand towards a broader target market and create new and unique brand experiences which set themselves apart from competition. MyASKO is a sub-brand and brand extension of ASKO which is targeted towards “aware millennials” who are using shared washing rooms within student accommodations, serviced apartments or communal homes. MyASKO also offers a digital brand experience which is rewarding and gives members the opportunity to proactively contribute towards local & global sustainable initiatives by choosing to wash on sustainable modes. By making the experience more rewarding and by engaging with local communities through sustainable initiatives, MyASKO increased the chance to create brand loyalty and potentially keep members for future circular washing machines for the private domestic market.