The role of product design in closing material loops

Product design plays an import role in the closing of material loops. Recycling processes can realise high recovery when material content and liberation of materials are optimal. However, product designers do not take into account these requirements from the recycling process. This paper describes an approach to help product designers to optimise their product designs for optimal recyclability. The product designer does not have to be a recycling expert, but he has to learn to look at a product from a material and connection view. Connections between materials play a very important role in optimising recyclability. Not only the recyclability of products can be improved by optimising connections, recycling processes also can be simplified if the design of a product and more specific of the product structure and connections are adjusted to recycling processes.