Circular economy proposes a more environmentally friendly regenerative model with the concept of revalorisation. It is a more equitable, profitable and innovative system, which at the same time implies a transformation of production, business and consumption models. It means banishing the ‘if I don't see it, it doesn't exist’ of linear economy contexts more linked to processes designed with an eye on the short term and focused on extracting, producing, consuming and discarding.
‘Design is everything’ Paul Rand would say and, as designers, we are convinced of this. But put like that it might sound empty. We prefer to be more concrete and draw on the Ellen McArthur Foundation's (an entity aimed to promote circular economy) vision that design itself is ‘a force for change that has the power to reshape our economy’. At the same time, we move beyond competing narratives to go further and provide companies with a more constructive vision.
This is how we believe and act in our Design Department: the questions we ask and the design decisions we make will determine how we use a service, how we behave, what we give value to, how we communicate and how we relate to brands, to each other and to the different interconnected systems.
Being able to analyse the life cycle of a product or service from the source gives us the opportunity to think in a systemic and creative way, in addition to complying with Sustainable Development Goal 12 of the 2030 Agenda (Responsible Consumption and Production) set by United Nations. Strategic design plays a key role in the circular economy as a catalyst towards more sustainable and efficient models.
Life cycle analysis of your product
Let's turn our attention to concepts such as durability, efficiency, repairability or reusability. Imagine, for example, a company linked to the world of textiles and fashion that offers high quality garments together with repair services or the exchange of garments from other seasons among its users, as well as discounts for recycling and the generation of ideas for reuse.
To ensure sustainability in the value chain, it could have an application to optimise logistics and, perhaps, a digital solution to ensure, through traceability, that its suppliers comply with all the guarantees of decent work.
In this way, in addition to reducing the amount of waste, it would be creating a committed community, new sustainable practices and a brand image in line with the values that are promoted, giving employees the opportunity to feel that they are working with a purpose and their customers the certainty that they are taking care of people and the environment.
Based on the analysis and with a focus on strategic design, we have the opportunity to suggest new business models that promote circularity: offering a product as a service, extending the useful life, creating collaborative platforms, circular sourcing, digitization and traceability, resource recovery, and applying creative solutions, more efficient, cleaner technologies and less resource-intensive production processes.
In the industrial sector, for example, a digital solution would be the launch of a marketplace to cover the sale of tools or spare parts that are difficult to find on the market with all the guarantees of green hosting and a minimal digital footprint.
Strategic design encourages collaboration between different actors in the value chain to identify opportunities for optimizing input flows. It would be feasible, for example, to imitate the case of Kalunborg, in Denmark, an industrial zone where the waste of one company is a base product of another. In this case, eco-design, co-innovation and data networking could also be applied using IoT and Artificial Intelligence, collecting and analysing all process data in real time to adapt supply, demand and production flows.
In addition, by reviewing sustainability at all stages of the life cycle, it helps to reduce environmental impact and thus greenhouse gas emissions.
If we were to collaborate with a company in the food distribution sector, we could design a business model based on partnerships with local producers to reduce the need for long-distance transport with an optimised ordering platform and routes between producers, retailers, restaurants and end consumers. We could also add a functionality to promote the use of biodegradable packaging, reducing emissions, waste and, at the same time, involve different organisations to donate unsold surpluses instead of throwing them away. A more innovative example could involve the use of AI technologies and data analytics on this platform to optimize delivery routes and distribution plans, minimizing emissions. In addition, through the use of blockchain, traceability of origin and supply chain would be facilitated, fostering transparency and trust.
In the retail field, with the new European Ecodesign Regulation for Sustainable Production, we could help textile brands to find new ways to circulate their surplus and propose a digital passport adapted to different audiences.
Strategic design also considers metrics to ensure viability, different future scenarios and potential risks, which facilitates resilience to global changes and the adaptation of companies and institutions to climate challenges, growing demand and environmental regulations.
To illustrate this case, we could use the example of a public administration that could redefine its mobility model by promoting sustainable modes of transport, such as cycling and electric vehicle sharing, as well as making use of smart technologies to improve traffic management and adapt to different safety and urban congestion situations.
These are just some of the applications of strategic design, data analytics and technology solutions to foster the circular economy, but to realise them, it is important to have the right partner to guide and provide innovative solutions. In our Design Department, we are familiar with different challenges, contexts and frameworks to facilitate circular design processes, all with the firm purpose of delivering tangible benefits for companies and avoiding mortgaging future generations.
We are committed to the circular economy as the most beneficial perspective. Our ultimate goal is to help shape a change of mindset that makes us aware of the challenges we need to face as a society and help design sustainable practices.