Circe

SK ILL S F O R F U T U R E PE O PLE

INTERACTIVE BOOKS

BRIEF SUMMARIES

www.circes.eu
2022-1-IT01-KA220-VET-000088987

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European
Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
 Topic 1: Circular Economy and Circular Design

Module Small: Linear and Circular Economy

● Linear economics: historical context, principles and examples

During this paragraph, students will learn about the historical context and principles of linear
economics, explaining the "take-make-waste" model, which consists of five stages: raw material
extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal. It emphasises the unsustainable nature
of the linear economy and the environmental impact of excessive production and waste.

● Why move to a Circular Economy? The consequences of Linear Economics

It highlights the unsustainability of the linear economy, emphasising resource depletion, environmental
impact, and economic inefficiency. It presents how growing demand leads to overexploitation of
natural resources, exemplified by events like Earth Overshoot Day and highlights the efforts of the
European Union towards sustainability.

● Circular Economy: what it is and what its key principles are

It defines the circular economy, emphasising its goal of creating a regenerative system where products
and materials are kept in use, waste is minimised, and natural systems are restored. The circular
economy is based on three key principles: eliminating waste and pollution, keeping products and
materials in circulation, and regenerating natural systems.

Module Medium: Circular Design

● Design: what it is, when it emerged and how it develops

It explains that design is a multidisciplinary field intersecting engineering and art. The World Design
Organisation defines industrial design as a strategic process that drives innovation and improves
quality of life by creating better products, systems, and experiences, linking innovation, technology,
research, and customer needs across economic, social, and environmental spheres.

● Circular Design: why is design important for the Circular Economy?

Students can learn about the importance of design in the circular economy. It emphasises that circular
design aims to minimise waste, use renewable energy, keep products and materials in use, regenerate
natural systems, and reimagine processes to be sustainable. This approach considers the entire
lifecycle of products to minimise environmental impact and promote resource efficiency.

● Strategies of the 10 Rs for a Circular Economy: what they are and what they’re for

This paragraph introduces the "10 Rs" strategy for transitioning from a linear to a circular economy.
These Rs include Refuse, Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture, Repurpose,
Recycle, and Recover. Each step focuses on smarter design, extending product life, and effective
waste management to support sustainable design and production.

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 Topic 2: Design Guidelines for Circularity

Module Small: Guidelines

●​ Guidelines related to policies, companies and the consumer

This section provides guidelines to help businesses and consumers transition to a sustainable, circular
economy. It emphasises the importance of adopting policies, directives, and regulations from the
European Union to guide efforts in reducing environmental impact across various industries, including
packaging, batteries, textiles, and construction.

●​ GreenWashing linked to policies and companies

Students will be introduced to "greenwashing," which occurs when companies falsely claim to be
environmentally friendly for marketing purposes without making genuine sustainable changes. It
explains the origins and rise of greenwashing, its prevalence across various industries, and the
negative impact it has on consumer trust and the movement towards a truly sustainable economy.

●​ Principles for proper waste collection

It focuses on waste management and recycling. It highlights the importance of proper waste
separation to support circularity, noting that only 40% of household waste in the EU is currently
recycled. The paragraph explains how effective recycling can minimise pollution, conserve resources,
and give materials a second life, despite some challenges like reduced quality of recycled materials.

Module Medium: User Journey

●​ User Journey - MOBILITY. Differences between sustainable and non-sustainable actions

This user journey focuses on the mobility user journey, illustrating how consumers can reduce their
environmental impact through sustainable travel choices. It contrasts unsustainable car usage with
eco-friendly alternatives like public transport, carpooling, biking, and carsharing, offering practical tips
for adopting greener habits in daily life.

●​ User Journey - FASHION. Differences between sustainable and non-sustainable actions

It concentrates on the fashion user journey, showing how consumers can make more sustainable
choices. It contrasts unsustainable habits, like frequent fast fashion purchases, with eco-friendly
practices such as buying second-hand clothes, supporting local producers, and choosing garments
made from sustainable materials.

●​ User Journey - FOOD. Differences between sustainable and non-sustainable actions

The food user journey illustrates the contrast between unsustainable habits, like relying on
animal-based and processed foods, with eco-friendly practices such as adopting a plant-based diet,
buying local and seasonal produce, reducing food waste, and avoiding single-use packaging to
minimise environmental impact through mindful eating and food management.

Module Large: Design Thinking

●​ Design Thinking and introduction to its steps

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This section explains design thinking, a human-centred approach to innovation. It describes how this
method, known for its flexibility and focus on user needs, has been successfully adopted by
companies like Apple and Samsung. It introduces the "double diamond" framework, which guides the
design process through divergent and convergent phases to develop and refine solutions continuously.

●​ Analogies between Design Thinking and Economics

During this paragraph, students can discover the parallels between design thinking and the Circular
Economy. Both approaches emphasise a non-linear, iterative process to find sustainable solutions.
The "double diamond" framework in design thinking is presented as a valuable tool for rethinking
products and processes to enhance material reuse, reduce waste, and support the transition to a
circular economy.

●​ Introduction to analogue activity with 10 "cornerstone principles" for sustainable design

It introduces the "10 sustainable commandments" for designing products with circularity in mind. It
provides guidelines for considering factors like modularity, end-of-life management, recycling, reuse,
durability, and user engagement, aiming to minimise environmental impact and promote sustainable
design practices.

●​ Analogue activity: ReDesign Challenge

The analogue activity involves a challenge that aims to develop participants' ability to consider the
entire life cycle of everyday objects and redesign them for sustainability. Participants work in groups of
three to four people using a template, pen, post-it notes, and an everyday object. They analyse the
object using the "10 sustainable commandments" to identify strengths and weaknesses. Then, they
discuss and suggest redesigns for greater sustainability, sketching or writing about the final
sustainable design. The activity encourages critical thinking and creative problem-solving to promote
circularity in product design.

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 Topic 3: Raw Materials and End of Life

Module Small: Raw Materials

●​ Raw materials – an overview

It provides an overview of raw materials, highlighting their definition, types, and the importance of
conscious usage. They are categorised into agricultural and mining raw materials. The paragraph
emphasises the environmental risks associated with their extraction, the uneven geographical
distribution leading to dependency, and the urgent need for sustainable practices.

●​ Commodity crisis

Students will be introduced to the increasing difficulty in accessing raw materials due to rising global
demand, geopolitical tensions, and various disruptions. The paragraph highlights the distinction
between direct and indirect raw materials, the economic implications of fluctuating prices, and the
necessity for sustainable resource management and innovative solutions to mitigate these challenges.

●​ What raw materials (i.e., critical raw materials) will Europe need for the development of
renewable technologies?

This section addresses critical raw materials, underscoring their importance for the European
economy and their high supply risk. It lists these materials, crucial for technologies like electric
vehicles and renewable energy. The EU's dependency on external sources for these materials is
highlighted, along with the 2030 targets to reduce this dependency by increasing intra-EU extraction,
processing, and recycling.

Module Medium: End of Life

●​ What is meant by end of life within the life cycle of a product?

It explains the concept of a product's life cycle, encompassing its development, market introduction,
growth, maturity, and end of life. It also emphasises the importance of good design for durability and
highlights how technological advancements and market needs influence a product's life span. The
paragraph also introduces the terms End Of Service Life (EOSL), End Of Sale (EOS), and End Of
Availability (EOA), noting the significance of managing the end-of-life phase for sustainability.

●​ How end-of-life is managed in the Linear Economy?

Throughout this paragraph, students can explore how the Linear Economy manages product
end-of-life through planned obsolescence, where products are designed to become outdated quickly to
boost sales. It highlights the environmental impact of this practice, leading to increased waste and
pollution.

●​ How end-of-life is managed in the Circular Economy?

This section contrasts the Circular Economy with the Linear Economy, emphasising how the former
aims to extend the life cycle of products, maximise resource use, and minimise waste. It highlights
recent EU regulations promoting product durability, repairability, and transparency to combat planned
obsolescence.

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Module Large: Fast Fashion
●​ Fast fashion, perceived obsolescence

This section examines fast fashion, which quickly produces and sells trendy clothing, leading to
excessive use of raw materials and significant waste. It traces fast fashion's origins and evolution,
noting its severe environmental and social impacts, including overproduction, exploitation of labour,
substantial waste and pollution.

●​ Fast fashion and direct and indirect raw materials

Students can examine the environmental impact of fast fashion, the extensive use of water and the
pollution from dyes and microplastics. It categorises the raw materials used into natural, artificial, and
synthetic fibres, noting their respective environmental downsides. The paragraph stresses the need for
sustainable consumer choices to mitigate these negative effects.

●​ Sustainable choices

This paragraph offers tips for making sustainable fashion choices. It advises consumers to buy from
eco-friendly brands, prefer garments made from sustainable or recycled materials, and apply practices
like reducing, reusing, and recycling. It also encourages checking for certifications and labels that
ensure environmental responsibility and fair labour practices.

●​ Analogue activity: how to read garment labels according to current European regulations.

This analogue activity provides guidelines on reading clothing labels to make informed, sustainable
purchasing decisions. It explains the mandatory labelling requirements in the EU, including fibre
composition, care instructions, and country of origin, helping consumers understand the environmental
impact and proper disposal of their garments. The activity emphasises the significance of proper
garment maintenance and recycling to extend the life of clothes and reduce environmental impact.

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 Topic 4: Packaging and Logistic

Module Small: Packaging

●​ What is packaging and why is it important?

Students will discuss the significance of packaging in everyday life and its role in protecting,
preserving, and promoting products. The content highlights the growing concern over packaging
waste, particularly plastic, and stresses the importance of developing sustainable packaging solutions.
Packaging must be designed not only for functionality but also for minimal environmental impact,
reflecting the increasing demand for eco-friendly practices.

●​ Packaging materials

It focuses on the different materials used for packaging and their specific characteristics, advantages,
and disadvantages. It also explains the distinction between primary packaging, which directly protects
the product, and secondary packaging, which groups products for easier handling and transport. The
section emphasises the need to choose materials that balance functionality with sustainability,
considering the product's needs, consumer expectations, and environmental impact.

●​ When is packaging well-designed?

During this paragraph, students can learn about the principles of well-designed packaging,
emphasising the need to balance protection and sustainability. It introduces the concept of packaging
optimization, where the goal is to use the least amount of material necessary to ensure product safety,
thereby reducing waste and costs. Examples of companies like Ikea and Unilever illustrate successful
packaging optimization strategies that reduce environmental impact while maintaining functionality.

Module Medium: Logistics

●​ What is logistics?

In this section, students can explore the crucial role logistics plays in connecting production and
consumption, emphasising its importance in achieving sustainability. Logistics involves managing the
flow of goods, information, and resources, encompassing activities like transportation, storage, and
distribution. Effective logistics ensure that products are delivered efficiently and with minimal
environmental impact, making it a key element in transitioning towards a more sustainable economic
model.

●​ Environmental impact of long and last mile transport

It examines the environmental impact of long-distance and last-mile transport, highlighting their
significant contributions to greenhouse gas emissions. This section stresses the need for sustainable
solutions, such as alternative fuels, electric vehicles, and innovative delivery methods like cargo bikes
and drones, to reduce the environmental footprint of logistics.

●​ Sustainable actions to optimise logistics

This paragraph emphasises the importance of optimising logistics for sustainability by reducing carbon
emissions, waste, and energy consumption throughout the supply chain. It highlights the role of digital
technologies, such as IoT, AI, and blockchain, in improving logistics efficiency and reducing
environmental impact. Additionally, it advocates for consumer education on sustainable practices,
such as supporting local products and responsible waste management.

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Module Large: Online shopping
●​ Online shopping

It discusses the rapid growth of e-commerce and its environmental consequences. While online
shopping offers convenience and a wide range of products, it significantly impacts the environment
through increased packaging waste and carbon emissions from transport, especially in the last-mile
delivery. The section emphasises the need for greater consumer awareness and more sustainable
practices in online shopping to mitigate its environmental impact.

●​ Sustainable online shopping practices

Students will learn about strategies for consumers to reduce the environmental impact of their online
purchases. It encourages informed buying decisions, combining multiple purchases into a single order,
choosing sustainable packaging, and opting for standard shipping over expedited options.

●​ Analog activity: debate on online shopping

This activity involves a group discussion focused on the pros and cons of online shopping, particularly
regarding packaging and sustainability. Participants are assigned different roles, such as a supporter
of online shopping, a critic, a packaging expert, a responsible consumer, and an e-commerce
representative. Each role presents arguments from their perspective, followed by an open discussion
to explore solutions and improvements. The activity aims to stimulate critical thinking and foster a
deeper understanding of the environmental impact of online shopping.