Product Design for a Circular Economy

The expert panelists from the Tact‘s 2024 San Francisco Design Week event shared their best resources to help others in the product design industry adopt sustainable practices and engage in a circular economy. They will continue to collect resources and share them on their resource page. The panel discussion was recorded, and we encourage you to watch and share the video! The following is a shortened excerpt, please visit Tact’s Circular Economy page for full resources.

What is the circular economy?

The circular economy is an economy that is restorative and regenerative by design. In a circular economy, economic activity builds and rebuilds overall system health. The concept recognizes the importance of the economy working effectively at all scales—for big and small businesses, organizations, and individuals, globally and locally.

It is based on 3 Principles:

1. Eliminate waste and pollution

The first principle of the circular economy is to eliminate waste and pollution. Currently, our economy works in a take-make-waste system. We take raw materials from the Earth, make products from them, and eventually throw them away as waste. Much of this waste ends up in landfills or incinerators and is lost. This system can not work in the long term because the resources on our planet are finite.

2. Circulate products and materials

The second principle of the circular economy is to circulate products and materials at their highest value. This means keeping materials in use, either as a product or, when they can no longer be used, as components or raw materials. This way, nothing becomes waste, and the intrinsic value of products and materials is retained.

3. Regenerate nature

The third principle of the circular economy is to regenerate nature. By moving from a take-make-waste linear economy to a circular economy, we support natural processes and leave more room for nature to thrive.

— Adapted from The Ellen MacArthur Foundation

— Content and images on this page is credited to Tact

Tact, Whipsaw, Informal, and iFixit, hosted an amazing event for SF Design Week. Six expert panelists, moderated by Tom Keegan, discussed practical ways to engage in a sustainable, circular economy:

About Tact:

We love that we live, work, and play in one of the leading innovation hubs of the world—surrounded by exceptional designers, entrepreneurs, and technologists. We believe that we live in a time when creativity and innovation are more pivotal than ever. It’s our mission to bring these remarkable ideas to market and into the hands of the user.

We excel at handling the complex issues and problems faced during the development and manufacturing process. We plan carefully and strategically, aligning our clients’ goals with reality while staying agile enough to do things that others could never do.

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