recycling & waste ManageMent
building circularity into product developMent
The World Bank predicts that global annual waste generation will have reached 3.4 billion tonnes by 2050. That is almost a 75 per cent increase on the two billion tonnes we generate today. Building a circular economy will play a crucial role in reducing this forecast. Here, Mats W Lundberg, head of sustainability at global engineering group Sandvik, looks at why circularity needs to be considered from the initial design process, otherwise it is already too late.
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roduct lifecycles traditionally follow a linear economy, where materials are transformed into products that are then
used and thrown away in a ‘take-make-waste’ approach. this is unsustainable. the primary principle of a circular economy
is keeping assets in use to create a responsible way of using resources at the same time as reducing waste. circularity is crucial in closing the loop of product life cycles. a key component of this is keeping products
in use for as long as possible, such as by sharing, maintaining, reusing and remanufacturing the product. the preferred end of life strategy is recycling, which is perhaps the most common circular economy approach adopted.
TiMe To acT Manufacturers should take steps to reduce waste in line with goal 12 of the united nation’s sustainable development goals, which is ‘responsible consumption and production’. in addition, a 2020 survey by ibM found that over seven in ten consumers say it is either moderately or very important that brands are sustainable, environmentally responsible and/or support recycling. the circular economy is applicable for all
products, no matter how large or small. For example, a mobile phone is a relatively small piece of technology but can produce a high amount of waste. the average person replaces their phone every two years, which can amount to as many as 35 phones in a lifetime. producing a single phone can require
240 gallons of water, and scientists have warned that many vital earth elements are becoming increasingly scarce due to the rate at which phones are manufactured and thrown away. this exemplifies how all products can require a large amount of materials, energy and equipment to manufacture, and are therefore part of a bigger chain of use and waste.
conSciouS deSign this wider chain of consumption must be taken into consideration when designing a new product. addressing ‘leakage points’, where materials and energy escape out of the circular system, will maximise recovery of resources and help close the loop. redesigning products for sustainability is
one of the advised actions in the world economic Forum’s recent report, net-Zero challenge: the supply chain opportunity. the action recommends design choices that reduce waste, improve recyclability and increase the share of input recycled materials. sandvik incorporates a number of these
practices in working towards its goal of achieving 90 per cent circularity by 2030. For example, metalliferous waste and other by- products from its sites are reused or recycled to the greatest extent possible. in addition, around 82 per cent of our stainless steel and special alloys are based on steel scrap or secondary raw material as we call it. circularity is also practised by sandvik in its
rebuild solutions for the mining industry. traditionally, an exhausted piece of mining equipment would be discarded, but sandvik offers a more sustainable alternative through its machine refurbishment service. sandvik’s rebuild solutions have been estimated to extend the life of machines by as much as seven years, while at a fraction of the materials and cost required for a new machine.
58 septeMber 2021 | Factory&Handlingsolutions
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