What it takes to design products for the circular economy

GreenBiz has posted an excellent article on what it takes to design products for the circular economy. You can read the full article here.

The article talks about how a circular economy is designed to feed back into itself: A product of long-lasting quality is placed into the market; the byproducts from its manufacturing are repurposed; and the retired product is reused as much as it possibly can. This rebuilds capital and enhances the flow of goods and services, while bringing a manufacturer as close as possible to a zero-waste goal.

Steel is an excellent example of a product made in a circular economy. It is an extremely durable product that will last for decades in structures such as buildings and bridges. By-products like slag can be used in cement products to reduce waste products at the steel mill and at the end of its useful life, it can be infinitely recycled into new products without any loss of quality.

The WorldSteel Association has created an entire website dedicated to steel and the circular economy. You can find it here.