How do we encourage the design of longer lasting and easily repairable consumer items?

Background

Defra seeks to increase the circularity of our economy through greater resource efficiency, waste prevention, and maximising recycling. Research is required on:

Next steps

Get in touch with ari.comment@go-science.gov.uk

Source

This question was published as part of the set of ARIs in this document:

DEFRA Research and innovation interests GOVUK

Related UKRI funded projects


  • CLEVER - Closed Loop Emotionally Valuable E-waste Recovery

    The rapid turnover in consumer electronics, fuelled by increased consumption, has resulted in negative global environmental and social consequences. These appliances are typically disposed of into UK landfills or to deve...

    Funded by: EPSRC

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project CLEVER - Closed Loop Emotionally Valuable E-waste Recovery addresses the issue of encouraging the design of longer lasting and easily repairable consumer items by developing a function-oriented business model and new materials that age gracefully, as well as exploring consumer responses to these materials.

  • Queen’s University of Belfast and Somerville (NI) Limited KTP 21_22 R3

    To integrate and embed sustainable design engineering and circular economy principles for the closed-loop repair, reuse and recovery of high-value end-of-life retail fixtures to create new and innovative recycling servic...

    Funded by: Innovate UK

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project specifically focuses on integrating sustainable design engineering and circular economy principles for the repair and reuse of consumer items.

  • ReMake Value Retention Centre

    Manufactured products account for 45% of total global CO2 emissions, while only 7% are currently recycled and starkly only 2% go through higher-value retention processes such as remanufacturing, whereby worn or non-funct...

    Funded by: NERC

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project addresses the need for value retention processes, remanufacturing, and repair of consumer items to increase circularity and resource efficiency.

  • International Upcycling Research Network

    Upcycling refers to material processes and innovations of utilising used or waste products, components and materials in order to create a product of higher quality or value than the compositional elements. It is an umbre...

    Funded by: AHRC

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project discusses upcycling as a way to encourage sustainable behavior and increase resource efficiency in consumer items.

  • Repairability: improving access to information for spare parts

    GoodMine (project lead) is an early stage growth tech company that specialises in collating data and insights relating to the circular supply chain(consumer goods). Mer-IT (collaboration partner) is a social enterprise...

    Funded by: Innovate UK

  • Use-By-Mate - Empowering consumers to reduce waste

    THAW Technology Ltd is an engineering design consultancy with a difference; we start from zero, applying our knowledge and skills to real life problems, inventing new and innovative solutions. Our unbridled passion for...

    Funded by: Innovate UK

  • Flexible Restoration for Remanufacture of Rolling Stock Components

    Increasingly stringent environmental regulations such as WEEE and End-of-Life (EoL) Vehicle Directive require the reuse of waste. Remanufacturing adds value to waste streams by returning EoL items to working order rather...

    Funded by: Innovate UK

  • Digitally-enhanced multi-level solution for smart human-centric remanufacturing

    The European remanufacturing industry is crucial for the sustainable transition of Europe, thanks to the savings in energy, materials and functionality that is guaranteed by the process. In fact, the socio- economic bene...

    Funded by: Horizon Europe Guarantee

  • ERICE- Electronics Recycling In A Circular Economy

    With the predicted move from electronics ownership to leasing style, many equipment suppliers are searching for technologies to allow easier in-house recycling. ERICE will develop a full commercial, easy-to-dissassembly,...

    Funded by: Innovate UK

  • Parametric Remanufacturing Configurator for Lighting (PRCL)

    Luminaire remanufacture retains metal and plastic components in "waste" luminaires while upgrading key electronic components to the latest technology. This unlocks step-change reductions of 15-30% in materials ...

    Funded by: Innovate UK