Circular Design and Bio-Economy

OBJECTIVE:

Materials are key ingredients in enabling a transition towards more sustainable futures. A circular design approach, an alternative to the linear take-make-waste situation, can help us to reduce and reuse industrial materials, keeping them in the loop and most notably to avoid waste. The use of bio based (renewable) materials is a sustainable alternative to avoid resource scarcity and inspire innovative use and development of new or unconsidered resources in the South Tyrollean mountains.

APPORACH:

Bringing together stakeholders along the product lifecycle should give us a better insight in the challenges and opportunities supporting a circular material flow. We believe an interdisciplinary approach can provide insights that are not visible within a single lifecycle stage or institution alone. Bringing together experts with non-experts is an inclusive approach to support common language and support knowledge exchange between different stakeholders.

GOAL:

Bringing together the (separated) parts of knowledge and experience along a (distributed) lifecycle in order to provide a more holistic view on the flow of circular and bio based materials. Providing new insights as starting point for the consideration and development of sustainable alternatives for alternative materials and product applications based on local situation and available resources. Sharing these results with the public for possible future co-development.

STAKEHOLDERS:

Start of lifecycle: designers, product developers, suppliers, manufacturers. Product life: reuse and repair initiatives, up-cycling collectives. End of lifecycle: collecting companies, de-constructors, recyclers, (public) waste management.

WORKING GROUP:

Free University of Bozen-Bolzano | Faculty of Design and Art

 

Nitzan Cohen | nitzan.cohen@unibz.it

 

Prof. Aart van Bezooijen | aart.vanbezooijen@unibz.it