This first course in the Sustainable and Circular Product Development specialization illustrates the product design tools necessary to implement Circular Economy (CE) principles. The course begins with an overview of the Circular Economy and why it is necessary today. It then discusses the design strategies involving Design for the Environment (DfE) and Design for “R”, where R refers to Reuse, Repair, Remanufacturing, and Recycling. This course goes deeper into the world of recycling, highlighting what happens at a Material Recovery Facility, or MRF, and the innovative sorting technologies recently developed to make recycling more cost-effective. Finally, the course shows the correlation between population, affluence and consumption patterns, and how that limits the availability of materials for products, emphasizing the subsequent importance of a circular economy. The course ends by highlighting ways product designers can select the appropriate materials to achieve circularity objectives and make eco-informed decisions.
This course was developed in collaboration with Siemens Digital Industries Software and is part of the "Design for the Circular Economy" collection. Learners who complete and pass the course can receive an industry-recognized digital badge.
The “Design for the Circular Economy” microcredential and graduate certificate are developed around the educational goals of providing technical, business, and leadership knowledge and skills that inspire the transformation towards a more circular economy. This includes gaining technical knowledge to apply circular economy principles in product design, minimizing waste and maximizing impact; developing business acumen to implement innovative circular economic models that prioritize sustainability and resilience; and acquiring leadership strategies to communicate effectively and inspire change within an organization.
This course can be taken for academic credit as part of CU Boulder’s Master of Engineering in Engineering Management (ME-EM) degree offered on the Coursera platform. The ME-EM is designed to help engineers, scientists, and technical professionals move into leadership and management roles in the engineering and technical sectors. With performance-based admissions and no application process, the ME-EM is ideal for individuals with a broad range of undergraduate education and/or professional experience. Learn more about the ME-EM program at https://www.coursera.org/degrees/me-engineering-management-boulder.
Overview
Syllabus
- From Linear to Circular Product Design
- Welcome to "Product Design for the Circular Economy", the first course of the Sustainable and Circular Product Development Specialization. The course starts by introducing you to the concept of the Circular Economy and how it differs from the linear economic practices of today. After discussing how the linear economy is challenged to support 8 Billion people on the planet, you'll explore the three basic principles of the circular economy, and how it decouples economic growth from resource extraction. You'll discover the work of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and their Circular Economy Butterfly Diagram in detail, which provides many examples of how to put sustainability and circularity into practice. You'll conclude this module by comparing conventional product design in several case studies.
- Design for R: Reduce, Reuse, Repair and Reman
- 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.
- Design for Recycling
- 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.
- Product Design and the Biological Cycle
- 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.
- Materials and the Circular Economy
- 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.
Taught by
Michael J. Readey, Ph.D.
