Some conceptions detail the strategies with which circularity can be achieved (e.g., reduce, reuse, remanufacture, recycle in frameworks such as the 3R, 4R or 9R frameworks), while others take a bird-eye perspective, suggesting few but general terms to describe circularity (e.g. the proposition that resource flows in a Circular Economy can be assigned to any of the three groups “slowing”, “closing” or “narrowing”). Yet others stress that Circular Economy is incomplete without acknowledging the role of the biosphere (e.g. in the Butterfly Diagram or in the Cradle to Cradle® idea).
In our most recent paper we analyze CECs dating back until the 1990s. Based on the strengths and weaknesses that we identified, we synthesize our findings into a new conception. The Circular Economy Design Diagram (CEDD) stands in the center of this new CEC together with an integration of circular economy strategies (e.g., repair, share, recycle) in four areas of decision (AoDs). Goal is to link the CEDD to sustainable product design to make it applicable in product design contexts. A central argumentation is that, in a design process, such conceptions should be accompanied by sustainability assessments. This supports the implementation of alternatives that are both circular and sustainable, instead of designing products that, though circular, do not provide advances in sustainability performance.
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