In the table below the design guidelines that Ruud Balkenende discussed in the previous video, along with several additional considerations from design for recycling literature are summarised.
Design guidelines, adapted from: Martínez Leal, J., Pompidou, S., Charbuillet, C., & Perry, N. (2020). Design for and from recycling: A circular ecodesign approach to improve the circular economy. Sustainability, 12(23), 9861. and Design for and from Recycling: Practical Guidelines for Designers (PolyCE, March 2021)
Level | Topic | Guideline | ㅤ |
Materials | Diversity | Minimise the number of different (types of) materials | ㅤ |
Avoid mixing materials in assemblies | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Provide information to the consumer on how the product should be disposed | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Information | Communication | Provide useful processing-related information | ㅤ |
Place identification elements on visible locations | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Eliminate labels that are incompatible with end-of-life treatment | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Use standardised labelling of products and components on recyclability, incompatibility, and/ or toxicity so that they can be easily identified | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Marking and labelling | Identification | Use standardised coding and marking of materials to facilitate their identification (plastic parts in particular) | ㅤ |
Design the product so it can be easily transported after use (i.e., allow for pre-disassembly) | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Homogenise the principles of assembly and disassembly | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Minimise divergence in the dismantling sequence order | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Increase the linearity of the disassembly sequence | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Disassemblability | Reduce disassembly time and total number of steps | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Modularity | Consider modular design (e.g. to facilitate dismantling of hazardous and/ or valuable components) | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Product | Complexity | Minimise the total number of components | ㅤ |
Avoid magnetic components on PCBs (valuable non-ferro PCBs may get lost in and pollute the ferrous metals stream) | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Recyclability | Avoid permanently enclosing materials (e.g. through insert moulding) | ㅤ | ㅤ |
If parts or sub-assemblies contain incompatible materials make sure they are easy to separate. | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Disassemblability | Valuable/ hazardous/ non-recyclable or non-compatible components must be easy to remove | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Accessibility | Valuable/ hazardous/ non-recyclable or non-compatible components must be easy to access | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Components | Identifiability | Valuable/ hazardous/ non-recyclable or non-compatible components must be easy to identify | ㅤ |
Cables and connectors | Minimise the number of wires/ cables and their length | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Durability | Protect fasteners from wear and corrosion | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Standardisation | Whenever possible use fasteners that can be removed with standard disassembly tools | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Disassemblability | Make sure fasteners are easy to remove | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Accessibility | Make sure fasteners are easily accessible (with a disassembly tool) | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Identifiability | Make sure fasteners are easy to identify | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Minimise the number of different disassembly tools required | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Diversity | Minimise the number of different types of fasteners | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Fasteners | Complexity | Minimise the total number of fasteners | ㅤ |
Do not use halogenated polymers (e.g. PVC, which degrades at processing temperatures of common plastics. The hydrochloride acid that is generated can damage moulds and extruders) | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Avoid the use of BFR’s (Brominated Flame Retardants) | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Avoid SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern) | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Avoid substances on the SIN list | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Hazardous substances | Avoid harmful materials, substances and additives | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Use of recycled materials | Use recycled materials, whenever possible | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Avoid using magnets (because they will pollute the ferrous metal stream) | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Use materials that retain their original quality/ properties as much as possible when recycled | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Recyclability | Use materials that are recyclable | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Avoid fixing ferrous metals to non-ferrous metals (as parts or as fasteners). Either stream will likely be polluted after the product is shredded. | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Use fasteners made of a material that is compatible with the part(s) they’re attached to. | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Compatibility | Choose compatible materials (i.e. that can be recycled together) | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Avoid creating permanent connections between materials (e.g. through 2K moulding) | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |
Use a single material per sub-assembly (monomaterial strategy) | ㅤ | ㅤ | ㅤ |