News & Insights

Cooperating for a Successful circular economy

Manufacturing

Circular production is the next big shift in the manufacturing industry. 
Here we show, step by step, how an industrial collaboration on a circular product can be built. We also provide important insights about, for example, needed competencies and the materials themselves.

A circular economy demands circular products, and every part of your process matters. From planning and designing, via the finished product, all the way to where the product or its part are either reused or recycled again.

6 steps: Collaborating in a circular project

Collaborative insights

In the project Stena Circular Consulting has, in partnership with Electrolux, produced a vacuum cleaner prototype. A recyclable prototype, that’s been put together from 100 percent reused components and recycled materials. Here you can find how we did, as a whole and in parts of the project. This is also how such a project can be put together – either in a holistic, overall circular way, or as a smaller collaboration, concentrating on a single part of the process. The collaboration has given us a wealth of insights, of which we share some here. Welcome to take a peek.

Follow the collaboration in 6 steps

Stena Circular Consulting has in partnership with Electrolux, produced a vacuum cleaner prototype. A completely recyclable prototype, that’s been put together from 100 percent reused components and recycled materials.

Let's collaborate to succeed!

Step #1 – Starting your circular business isn’t that hard. Yes, there are some challenges. And yes, you need to have a clear business target. But if you find others to collaborate with, you’ve already gotten to a good start.

Let's collaborate to succeed!

Experts setting the scope

Step #2 – Always make sure that your circular collaboration is tangible, with easy to reach-targets. In the startup part of the process, it’s more important to make sure you will find mutual benefits, than to solve all problems at once.

Experts setting the scope

Reusing components is possible

Step #3 – There are plenty of ready-to-use components in much of the electronic waste we dispose of. These components sometimes have more than 80 percent of their service life left, even if the product they were in reached its end-of-life.

Reusing components is possible

Premium circular raw material

Step #4 – Making sure that the recycled materials are high-grade enough for new use is essential. This way, they can easily replace the virgin materials, thus supporting a circular economy. And save resources for the companies involved.

Premium circular raw material

Components of 100% recycled material

Step #5 – High-quality recycled material gives high-quality new components. And helps to maintain a fully functioning manufacturing process. This ensures that the producing companies can put their brand on the products produced.

Components of 100% recycled material

Prototyping your insights

Step #6 – Developing a prototype of a circular product provides a wealth of insights. This is one of the conclusions from the Electrolux’ and Stena Recycling’s development of a 100 % recycled and recyclable vacuum cleaner. Insights that you can take to the next level.

Prototyping your insights