Design of Consumables in a Resource-Efficient Economy—A Literature Review

Abstract

Consumable products have received less attention in the circular economy (CE), particularly in regard to the design of resource-efficient products. This literature review investigates the extent to which existing design guidelines for resource-efficient products are applicable to consumables. This analysis is divided into two parts. The first investigates the extent to which general product-design guidelines (i.e., applicable to both durables and consumables) are applicable to consumables. This analysis also scrutinizes the type of recommendations presented by the ecodesign and circular product design, to investigate the novel aspects of the CE in product design. The second analysis examines the type of design considerations the literature on product-type specific design guidelines recommends for specific consumables and whether such guidelines are transferable. The analysis of general guidelines showed that, although guidelines are intended to be general and applicable to many types of products, their applicability to consumable products is limited. Less than half of their recommendations can be applied to consumables. The analysis also identified several design considerations that are transferable between product-specific design guidelines. This paper shows the importance of the life-cycle perspective in product design, to maximize the opportunities to improve consumables.

Sustainable Circular Packaging Design: A Systematic Literature Review on Strategies and Applications in the Cosmetics Industry

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Development of the Circular Product Readiness Method in Circular Design

“…For certain products to fulfil a function, they require consumables which can be either dissipative (e.g., washing detergent) or disposable (e.g., razorblades) [52]. The question was rephrased as a result of Co-creation session 5.…”

“…Use efficiency that can be influenced by design relates to facilitating correct use, adjusted to the use context, as well as using appropriate products in the right quantities [52]. The question was rephrased as a result of Co-creation session 5.…”

“…Critical or conflict materials can be avoided or minimized through careful material selection [52]. The question was rephrased as a result of Co-creation session 5.…”

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“…Corresponding author Daniel Jugend can be contacted at: daniel.jugend@unesp.br\ For instructions on how to order reprints of this article, please visit our website: www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/licensing/reprints.htm Or contact us for further details: permissions@emeraldinsight.com 2014) Willskytt (2021) Table A1.…”