Continuous product lifecycle

Today's linear take, make, dispose economic model relies on large quantities of
cheap, easily accessible materials and energy, and is a model that is reaching its
physical limits. A circular economy is an attractive and viable alternative that
businesses have already started exploring today. A circular economy is restorative
and regenerative by design, and aims to keep products, components, and materials
at their highest utility and value at all times.

The circular economy is based on a few simple principles:

1. Design out waste

Waste does not exist when the biological and technical components (or
nutrients) of a product are designed by intention to fit within a biological or
technical materials cycle, designed for disassembly and refurbishment. The
biological nutrients are non-toxic and can be simply composted. Technical
nutrientspolymers, alloys, and other man-made materials are designed to
be used again with minimal energy and highest quality retention (whereas
recycling as commonly understood results in a reduction in quality and feeds
back into the process as a crude feedstock).
2. Build resilience through diversity
Modularity, versatility, and adaptivity are prized features that need to be
prioritised in an uncertain and fast-evolving world. Diverse systems with
many connections and scales are more resilient in the face of external shocks
than systems built simply for efficiencythroughput maximisation driven to
the extreme results in fragility.
3. Rely on energy from renewable sources.
Systems should ultimately aim to run on renewable sources.
4. Waste is food.
5. On the biological nutrient side, the ability to reintroduce products and
materials back into the biosphere through non-toxic, restorative loops is at
the heart of the idea. On the technical nutrient side, improvements in quality
are also possible; this is called upcycling.
Examples on how to prolong the life of a product

1. Circular design
Improvements in material selection and product design
(standardization/modularization of components, purer material flows, and
design for easier disassembly) are at the heart of a circular economy.
Smartphones is commonly used and the average lifespan of a mobile phone
is 2 years. With improved product design, the lifespan can be increased by
just changing the required software instead of changing the smartphone
itself.
2. Innovative business models
Especially changing from ownership to performance-based payment models,
are instrumental in translating products designed for reuse into attractive
value propositions.
3. Core competencies along reverse cycles and cascades involve establishing
cost-effective
Better-quality collection and treatment systems (either by producers
themselves or by third parties). With a better treatment system, the waste in
the landfills can be reduced and increase the quality of the soil present in the
area.

Conclusion