With a raging pandemic, disrupted supply chains, and a growing scarcity of raw materials, 2021 will present serious challenges to the global manufacturing industry. American Machinist (Jan. 6, 2021) sees a renewed resolve among manufacturers to focus on sustainability and join the circular economy – the strategic effort to eliminate waste and the maintain a continual use of resources. Manufacturers are approaching the circular economy model by rethinking how they design and produce their products with as little waste as possible, how they ship them, and how they approach the growing after-market repair and recycling market.
The circular economy is putting pressure on companies to reexamine their business processes; not only to improve quality and profitability, but because an efficient supply chain consumes less energy, uses fewer resources, and produces less waste. In short, gearing production toward sustainability is good business.
One example is DyeCoo, a textile company that has partnerships with Nike and IKEA, has developed a water-free process for dyeing. Using highly pressurized, recyclable carbon dioxide instead of water, the company can produce its product in half the time, using a fraction of the energy of traditional methods. Another example is Cambrian Innovation. This U.S. company treats wastewater contaminated by industrial processes, not only turning it into clean water, but even producing biogas that can be used to generate clean energy.
Manufacturers also will need to reengineer, and in some cases reimagine, their products. This means building for longevity in a sustainable business plan. If you are a lighting fixture manufacturer selling light as a service to an airport, you will want to produce lightbulbs to last long as possible, to maximize ‘uptime’ and revenue.
Manufacturers are also taking serviceability into account in the design phase. Consider Dell and its Latitude laptop computers, which have been designed with recycling in mind. Using removable batteries, standardized fasteners, and by eliminating mercury and adhesives, Dell is able to produce laptops that are 97% recyclable.
Classroom discussion questions:
- How does Supp. 5 in your Heizer/Render/Munson OM text define “circular economy?”
- Provide examples of how product design teams can use alternative materials to improve sustainability.