Ecodesign can play an important role in advancing the circular economy beyond just diversion of resources from landfill or incremental changes. As a strategic design approach, ecodesign focuses on reducing environmental impacts through transformational innovation. It encourages questioning the current status and addressing areas that cannot easily be made circular. Ecodesign tools and guidance help take a preventative rather than reactionary approach. Case studies demonstrate how ecodesign can create more circular products and services through creativity in life cycle thinking.

2. The role of ecodesign in the circular economy:
perspectives from Ecodesign Centre
Dr Christopher Harris
Catalan Delegation to the EU, Brussels
16th June 2015

5. Circular economy: the good
• Engagement: circular economy rhetoric resonates outside of the usual eco-
innovator and eco-entrepreneur typologies
• Business-orientated
• Increased proliferation of tools that promote design (e.g. Circular Economy
Toolkit)
• Catalyst for transformational change when new products and services are
created

6. Circular economy: the ‘less bad’
• Focus on diversion of resources from landfill, not changing the way people
consume (assumes more consumption is good).
• Rebound effects.
• Business as ‘slightly better than’ usual – reinforcement of infrastructure and
behaviour.
• Tendency towards end-of-pipe solutions, encouraging incremental change
• Growth always = Good. Therefore more consumption
• Usefulness of diverted material not the key metric of success due to policy
background
• Does not address areas that cannot be made circular or where there are not yet
sufficient drivers - (e.g. much that comes under the Ecodesign Directive)

7. So what is the role of
ecodesign in the
circular economy?
‘Obvious’ benefits of increased
ecodesign in products and services:
• Increases energy efficiency
• Reduces impacts on water, air
and Earth
• Mitigates climate change
• Decreases/excludes toxic
materials
• Creates green jobs.
Todd McLellan

8. But ecodesign is much more than simply re-designing for disassembly, re-use,
energy efficiency etc.
It is a strategic design management approach focusing on the reduction of
environmental impacts through transformational innovation.
As such, there are many other benefits of ecodesign to the circular economy…

9. So what is the role of ecodesign in the circular economy?
• Creativity – life cycle thinking vs. life
cycle assessment
• Asks questions of the current status as
a starting point. Behaviours,
infrastructure etc.
• Addresses areas that cannot be made
circular
• Tools, metrics and guidance
• Allows us to be preventative, rather than
reactionary
• As a design discipline, focussed on the
end user and aims to satisfy who it is
aimed at.
Brezet and van Hemel, 1997

10. Case Studies
IQERiversimple

11. Case Studies
Orangebox Riva Lighting

12. www.edcw.org
@ecodesigncentre
christopher@edcw.org
@GreenerHarris