Design Workshops Powered by Circular Economy Principles
Chosen theme: Circular Economy Principles in Design Workshops. Step into a practical, optimistic space where waste becomes a brief, loops become sketches, and teams prototype products and services that regenerate value rather than deplete it.
The “Waste Wall” Icebreaker
Invite participants to post examples of waste they encounter daily, then cluster them into potential resource categories. A team in Copenhagen uncovered five repurposable materials before lunch, instantly shifting skepticism into hands-on curiosity.
Systems Mapping in Ten Minutes
Using sticky strings or digital arrows, sketch how a product’s components move across sourcing, use, return, and recovery. A quick loop map exposes where leakage happens and which partners could close it tomorrow.
Material Flows and Loops in Practice
01
Give each material a token and move it through stations for use, repair, and return. Visualizing bottlenecks makes interventions obvious; one startup discovered parcel lockers could double as neighborhood repair drop points.
02
Prototype a citywide cup system: deposit tags, wash cycles, and return incentives. In our pilot story, a library network became an unexpected node, driving ninety-two percent returns through friendly staff reminders.
03
Build a low-fidelity model showing how components come back. Include a QR for part IDs and a disassembly step. Ask readers: which node—retail, repair, or logistics—could your team mobilize within thirty days?
Design for Disassembly, Repair, and Remanufacture
Run a teardown comparing screws, clips, and reversible bonds. A workshop in Turin cut disassembly time by seventy percent by switching two glued seams to clips, enabling repair without heat, fumes, or special tools.
Business Models that Enable Circular Prototypes
Map fees, uptime guarantees, and maintenance triggers. A lighting pilot in Rotterdam thrived because payments aligned with lumens delivered, not fixtures sold—creating budget for ongoing upgrades and responsible component recovery.
Business Models that Enable Circular Prototypes
Test small deposits, loyalty points, or neighborhood rewards. We saw a higher return rate when customers earned community credits redeemable for tool-sharing time, building pride alongside circular behavior.
Facilitation Techniques for Lasting Change
Role-play the recycler, the repair technician, and the second owner. Empathy uncovers friction that diagrams miss. A team discovered confusing labeling long before production, avoiding costly recalls and landfill detours.
Facilitation Techniques for Lasting Change
Ask participants to log every point of friction in return and repair flows, then map moments of delight. Addressing one friction point often amplifies two delights, reinforcing circular habits customers actually enjoy.
Facilitation Techniques for Lasting Change
Mail mini teardown kits or ship digital twins for virtual sessions. Pair breakout rooms with live bench cams. Subscribe for our monthly kit checklist, and tell us which tools you want included next.