Circular design differs from traditional design in several ways:
1. Objective: Circular design aims to create products and systems that minimize waste and resource consumption by designing for longevity, reparability, and recyclability. It focuses on designing with the end of life in mind, promoting recycling, upcycling, and reusing, whereas traditional design often neglects the entire life cycle of a product.
2. Material selection: Circular design emphasizes the use of renewable and biodegradable materials, as well as promoting closed-loop systems where materials can be easily recovered and recycled. In contrast, traditional design often prioritizes cost and performance over sustainability.
3. Product life cycle: Circular design focuses on extending the lifespan of products through strategies like modularity, easy repairability, and adaptability. It aims to encourage consumers to keep products in use for longer periods, reducing the need for frequent replacements. Traditional design may prioritize planned obsolescence or short product lifecycles to drive sales.
4. Waste reduction: Circular design aims to minimize waste generation by promoting the reuse, refurbishment, and recycling of products and materials. It also considers the entire value chain, including supply chains and manufacturing processes, to reduce waste and emissions. Traditional design tends to create linear value chains with high waste generation and limited consideration for end-of-life management.
5. Systems thinking: Circular design embraces a systems approach, considering the interconnectedness of various elements within a product's life cycle and seeking to optimize the entire system for sustainability. It encourages collaboration between different stakeholders, such as designers, manufacturers, consumers, and waste management entities. Traditional design often focuses on isolated product design, disregarding the wider consequences and impacts.
Overall, circular design seeks to redefine the way products are designed, manufactured, and consumed, with a focus on sustainability, resource efficiency, and waste reduction.
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