About this tool

The Circular Pathfinder has been developed by IDEAL&CO within the European FP7 ResCoM project. This project developed industry pilots and support tools to assist the transition to circular business models and product designs.

The purpose of the Circular Pathfinder tool is to provide guidance to companies that are looking for appropriate circular design strategies for their product(s). It has been designed as a quick and easy to use tool, that gives motivated suggestions based on a maximum of 10 questions.

Depending on the answers, the pathfinder provides recommendations for specific circular design strategies (e.g. refurbishment or recycling), and product examples for each of the strategies.

Methodology


The tool uses an algorithm based on research of ‘best-practices’: cases of companies that have already implemented circular strategies for their products. In the research, the retrospective question was asked which contextual, product-related factors could be used to discern the different circular pathways implemented by the companies.

Six key product decision variables were identified that appear to influence the chosen circular pathways in these cases:

1. The reason for replacing or discarding the product

2. The lifetime of the product

3. Whether users would be interested in buying and using a product that is in good condition

4. Whether users demand a warranty to assure that the used product works well

5. Whether parts of the product are still useful to the company when the product is replaced or discarded

6. Whether the parts or materials of the product could be collected or whether they get dissipated.

The pathfinder’s premise is that factors that can be influenced by the manufacturer’s operations (e.g. product design) do not hold back the potential of a circular pathway. Instead, they are the challenges to overcome if the pathway is pursued.

The Circular Pathfinder has been applied to approximately 40 cases, and used with companies directly or indirectly involved in the ResCoM project. If you would like to suggest a best-practice for the Pathfinder examples, feel free to contact us via koffie@ideal-co.nl

Definition Strategies

In the Circular pathfinder, terms are used for which quite a number of different definitions exist in literature and practice. Terminology tends to differ across disciplines, countries and companies. We here include a list of the definitions that are used in the Circular Pathfinder.


Circular Cycles Definitions
Prolong Prologing the usecycle of a product can be achieved by making the product more durable. Durability can relate to physical durability (e.g. the use of corrosion resistant materials) and emotional durability (a situation where "users and products flourish within long-lasting empathic partnerships").
Upgrade Upgrading is the process of enhancing the functional capabilities (or sometimes cosmetic conditions) of a product relative to the original design specifications to meet changeable user needs.
Reuse Reuse of a product or component is the use of a product or component when put back into service for a new usecycle (following an earlier usecycle). A product can be repaired, upgraded or refurbished before its reuse.
Repair Repairing corrects specific faults in a product to bring it back to satisfactory working condition. Generally, there is no new warranty on the repaired product, asides from components that have been replaced.
Refurbish Refurbishment is the process of returning a product to a satisfactory working condition. It may include repairing or replacing major components of the product. Generally, any warranty on a refurbished product applies to all major wearing parts but is less than that of a newly manufactured equivalent. Usually, a new usecycle (but no new lifecycle) starts after a product is refurbished.
Remanufacture Remanufacture denotes the process of disassembly of products into components, testing and recombining those components into a product of at least original performance. Generally, the resultant new product is given a warranty that is identical to that of an equivalent product manufactured out of all new parts.
Recycle Recycling is the process of recovering material from products at the end of their lifecycle. The materials recovered feed back into the process as feedstock for the original or other purposes. Use for energy recovery, fuel or backfilling are excluded.
Biodegrade Biodegrading is the process in which materials are consumed by microorganisms and returned to compounds found in nature.

When using this product, do any of its materials get dissipated ('lost')?

For instance:

> Ink in a pen is consumed

> Washing machine detergents are consumed

> Disposable batteries in a toy are 'consumed'

> Soles of a shoe wear away

The product contains consumables and parts of the product wear away.
How long do people use the product and why do they stop using it?
Our target customer uses the product for years, after which the main reason why it is replaced

or discarded is that
This is a special outcome! Very few products will never be replaced or discarded but instead be kept for a lifetime and beyond. If your product is cherished forever such as great works of art, nothing needs to change for it to become circular; it can already circulate for generations to come.
Since the products' use life is currently limited by it being broken/vis degraded, the user may want a replacing product. How long does a user need the function that is provided by the product?

For example: in js staat when a washing machine breaks down, the user still has a need for washing clothes. /when a shirt has degraded visually, the user may still need a shirt.

A user needs the function that is provided by the product for about years.
That implies the user replaces the product about N times.
Since the products' use life is currently limited by the user's need or want for it, does the product last long enough for another use life?
The average product will last years without functional failure.
That would mean the product could in principle be used about N times by a different user.
Would there be demand for the reuse of products, when they are in good condition?
When a used product is restored to/ still in good condition, there people interested in buying and using it/leasing and using it/using it in a pay-per-use plan.
Will clients that buy/lease/pay per use of a product require warranty?
Our customers demand a manufacturer's warranty on it to assure that the product will work well.
When the product is replaced or discarded after use, are its parts still useful?

For instance because:

> The exact same product is still in production

> A next version uses some of the same parts

> There is a demand for spare parts in as-new condition.

After N years of use, parts of the product useful.
The product parts are mainly useful for the

Thank you for your answers!
When you click ‘Show results’ the block at the right will expand, so you can read more about the suggested Circular pathways for the case where users buy/lease/pay-per-use your product. You can download the results by clicking the ‘Share results’ button.

If you are also considering other business models, you can revisit the questions for these business models as well, simply by changing your answers above.
Cycles
Overview circular pathways
Prolong
Upgrade
Reuse
Repair
Refurbish
Remanufacture
Recycle
Biodegrade
Conclusions

No conclusions yet

Examples
These companies have already implemented circular design strategies: