Designing products with environmental responsibility in mind has traditionally been known as DfE: Design for the Environment. In this module, you'll learn that this has typically involved measures such as Design for Dematerialization (lightweighting), Design for Detoxication (safe materials), and Design for Revalorization (product recovery). The Circular Economy model goes beyond this to ensure the product is durable and long-lived, easily repairable and upgradeable. These elements drive product design - the primary topic of this module. Design for R introduces you incorporating design elements that prioritize remanufacturing and recyclability or compostability. The module then concludes with examples of how these design protocols can be implemented in practice.

This module presents a deep-dive into recycling. Although it is the last stop in a product's life cycle, it is the one that provides the raw materials for the next production cycle. To be fully recyclable, products need to be designed with recycling in mind. This module discusses the important factors of how to Design for Recycling. This includes a focus on disassembly and material selection. You'll learn how materials can directly effect a product's lifecycle and utility. For example, aluminum is an infinitely recyclable raw material source, while plastic on the other hand, degrades each time it is recycled, and often ends up in a product that is "downcycled", meaning a product of lower value. To tackle the topic of excess waste, especially from plastic, you'll learn from a prominent chemical engineer that recovery is possible. At a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) where recycling happens, you'll learn about the technological advances in sorting that help minimize or eliminate contamination. You'll discover two startups that are advancing "sortation". Since recycled materials only become valuable if there is a market for them, you'll examine the economic factors recyclers face and their potential solutions. The module wraps up with a look to where we're at today, and how policies such as Extended Producer Responsibility can accelerate recycling, making it more competitive with virgin materials.

This module explores the opportunities for new products based on biological nutrient cycles. Having a biological nature creates several different pathways into new products such as composting, which can later be used as a soil amendment. This module discusses what composting is and how it can be utilized for virtually any natural material. You’ll learn how natural materials digest and can produce biogas, a renewable biofuel that can be a replacement for natural gas. Finally, you’ll explore what makes a healthy biosphere in the context of prioritizing soil health with Regenerative Agriculture and Carbon Farming.

Products are made from materials, and material selection is the starting point for any sustainable and circular product. This module begins by examining the relationship between population, affluence and materials consumption, and the challenges faced as we approach the limit of some natural resources. We then shift to materials selection from an environmental perspective, answering a question we all hear today: paper or plastic? Eco-designs must often account for constraints and tradeoffs, usually between cost, performance and environmental impact. To do this, you will learn about trade-off analysis using a 2L carbonated beverage container. As materials play a key role in the circular economy, you’ll explore the link between the challenges and opportunities of a circular material economy. The module concludes with a wrap-up that summarizes the entire course, particularly in highlighting the transition from the linear to a circular economy, and how product design is key to making that happen.