Circular Economy Design
A design philosophy that plans for a product's full material lifecycle from the start — prioritizing recyclability, repairability, disassembly, and reuse over single-use or landfill disposal, in contrast to the traditional linear take-make-dispose model.
Why it matters
Circular design changes engineering decisions before a product ships — material selection, joining methods, labeling, and disassembly sequences all must be specified and managed in PLM for end-of-life handling to be feasible at scale.
External References
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Cite this definition
Finocchiaro, Michael. “Circular Economy Design.” DemystifyingPLM PLM Glossary, 2026, https://www.demystifyingplm.com/glossary/circular-economy-design