The Aluminum Stewardship Initiative (ASI) is initiating new Design for Circularity guidelines to help designers, manufacturers and civil society make informed decisions that are consistent with the principles of the circular economy. After all, design for circularity in aluminum production is not just a question of using recycled materials, but involves a holistic approach that integrates sustainability into every stage of a product or project’s life cycle, from conception to end of life.
Designing for the circular economy is a multi-faceted challenge. It is not enough to simply switch to recycled materials and call a product sustainable. The path to a circular economy requires the involvement of all stakeholders in a product’s lifecycle, from material scientists to recycling plant operators. This collaboration helps to establish products that are not only functional, but also durable and recyclable.
Complexity, challenges and strategies
However, the shift from a “take, make, dispose”, linear economy model to a “narrow, slow and close” model, which corresponds to the circular economy and resource flow model, requires a rethink: a rethink in the use and disposal of products. This requires brands and designers to work closely with consumers to promote take-back programs, repair programs and easily upgradable products. This holistic approach ensures that products can seamlessly transition into new life cycles, reducing waste and conserving resources.
One major challenge is entropy, the inevitable increase in clutter and energy loss during recycling. Examples such as Fairphone and Apple’s Daisy disassembly robot show how design can help overcome this challenge.
Circularity Working Group: strategies and principles
The ASI’s Circularity Working Group (CWG) is working to improve design for circularity, focusing on several key strategies. Products should be reusable, modular and easy to disassemble to facilitate integration into circular pathways. Promoting the use of recycled or renewable materials is essential to reduce dependence on virgin materials. Comprehensive knowledge sharing and publication of information on material recovery and recycling is also crucial, as is transparency in the material and chemical composition of a product to ensure better risk assessment and safe handling of chemicals.
From a project-specific perspective, the CWG is also focused on integrating circular economy strategies into bauxite mine closure planning to improve environmental sustainability and bring benefits to the community beyond the traditional scope of mine rehabilitation. This includes, for example, embedding circularity into the mining process, optimizing resource use and involving communities early in the planning process. A systemic approach to the life cycle view will also be taken, emphasizing sustainable design and proactive stakeholder engagement from the early stages of the mining process. This includes planning for the future use of mining infrastructure in line with circular economy objectives.
Read more: Aluminium Stewardship Initiative
(source: ALUMINIUM)