These resources are for everyone who wants to learn, apply, and contribute to circular design. Here’s where you can find out why design underpins the whole idea of a circular economy and how you can put it into practice.
Why design is fundamental to a circular economy
Everything around us has been designed by someone: the clothes we wear, the buildings we live and work in, and the systems that deliver food and mobility.
Today, in industries like fashion and plastics packaging, products and systems are designed in such a way that more than 80% of material flows are destined for landfill, incineration or leaked into natural environments. Once things are designed, it’s hard to reverse: “We can’t unscramble an omelette”
With circular design, we can prevent the creation of waste and pollution right at the start.
Design - Overview - Examples
BioPak
Ahrend
Niaga
Closing the loop on single-use food packaging
The rapidly growing takeaway food sector results in many single-use plastic containers being discarded every year. Recycling is generally impractical due to contamination caused by food residues, so takeaway packaging most often ends up in landfill. Reusable containers should be implemented wherever possible, but this is sometimes not practical, leaving a proportion that remains single use.
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Videos
- Design