5.2.1 Design products to use fewer resources and last longer

Design decisions influence most of the options available later: material choice, construction, repair potential, recoverability and the information that can be attached to a product are largely fixed at this stage. Lifecycle evidence should therefore be an input to the brief rather than a check performed after the product exists. The size of that influence varies with the product, the impact category and the system boundary: a durable product may carry a higher material burden but avoid several replacement cycles, and the net effect has to be assessed, not assumed. SMEs can improve sustainability by reducing unnecessary material and trim complexity, improving pattern efficiency, designing for durability and repair, and testing whether mono-material construction is compatible with the intended use and the recovery infrastructure that actually exists.

Reference: European Parliament, implementation of the Ecodesign Directive: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-8-2018-0165_EN.html

Key actions

  • Reduce the number of materials and trims.
  • Improve pattern efficiency to minimize cutting waste.
  • Design products for repair and durability.
  • Prefer mono-material constructions where feasible.
  • Optimise product portfolios by reducing unnecessary product variations and low-performing collections.

Resource insight: WRAP, Circular Design Toolkit for Fashion and Textiles: https://www.wrap.ngo/resources/guide/circular-design-toolkit; Ellen MacArthur Foundation and IDEO, Circular Design Guide: https://www.circulardesignguide.com/; Aalto University, T-REX textile-to-textile design and recycling project: https://circulartextiles.aalto.fi/trexproject/

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