Aim: The purpose of this research is to explore the challenges and opportunities regarding circular strategies in the automotive industry for electric vehicle (EV) components in Thailand. It focuses on the life cycle management of EV battery packs, such as repair, reuse, refurbishment,remanufacturing, and recycling. Furthermore, it aims to explore future challenges and opportunities for such strategies in the market in Thailand and to evaluate them from an economic, ecological, and technical perspective.Research methods: Primary data from online surveys, observations, and market exhibition visits are generated. Additionally, secondary data from literature reviews, web searches, and market forecast data are explored. Using the foresight method, this input is summarized, evaluated, and the basis for an outlook of future challenges and opportunities.Results: This research provides information on the local attitude towards circular strategies in the market and culture in Thailand. It maps the existing circular strategies in the EV market and provides a forecast of the potential future challenges and opportunities for such strategies in this market in Thailand.Conclusion: The strong automotive infrastructure in Thailand and incentives from the Thai administration to increase to share of sold and locally produced EVs are providing market opportunities for circular strategies for battery packs in Thailand. At the same time, missing national Thai standards and regulations as well as a lack of remanufacturing awareness within Thai society are challenges for this business concept.

The Cambodian economy is growing significantly causing the local car fleet to follow. Consequently, the need for car spare parts is steadily increasing. Unlike other regions inthe world, like Europe, North America and some Asian countries, automotive partremanufacturing in Cambodia has hardly been practised nor analyzed. This research aimsto study the awareness and perception of car owners in Cambodia of remanufactured carparts as alternatives to new spare parts. To reach this aim, primary data was collected toinvestigate the knowledge and the perception of remanufactured car parts amongtowards alternatives to new spare parts (e.g., remanufactured parts). The 425 validresponses from Cambodians were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Evaluating theresponses show, that 70% of respondents were aware of remanufacturing, but theirperception is mostly negative. More than half perceive remanufactured automotive parts asinferior to new counterparts. When being offered alternatives to new parts without using the term 'remanufactured' the willingness to buy is higher than when using the term.

Originating from years of economic instability, a recent positive development of the Cambodian economy is leading to a rising number of registered vehicles, mainly motorcycles. With this rise, the demand for spare parts is also increasing significantly. Differing from other countries, where a share of the spare parts is covered by remanufactured parts, there is no remanufacturing alternative to new parts available in Cambodia. As such, little is known about the Cambodian remanufacturing market. Therefore, this research aims to explore the awareness of motorcycle users in Cambodia of remanufactured parts as an alternative to new spare parts. To fulfil the aim, data from 491 Cambodian motorcycle users were collected and analyzed through structured interviews and online surveys. The main findings conclude that a vast majority of the Cambodian motorcycle users are aware of the remanufacturing alternatives to new spare parts but in many cases the perception is negative, and the new parts are seen as superior to remanufactured parts.

Europeiska unionen (EU) har identifierat textilier som en av de sju nyckelproduktsvärdekedjor som behöver ökad cirkularitet. Syftet med detta projekt har varit att ur ett miljömässigt, ekonomiskt, juridiskt och leverantörs- och kundperspektiv undersöka potentiella cirkulära affärsmodeller för arbetskläder, samt resulterande förändringar av deras design. Fokus har varit på arbetskläder för små och medelstora företag (SME) inom bygg- och anläggningsbranschen. Undersökningen inkluderar användbarheten av olika design- och affärsmodellsförändringar som kan påverka resursförbrukningen och därmed bidra till en mer cirkulär ekonomi.

Ett nyckelresultat baserat på LCA är att alla undersökta förändringar, jämfört med en linjär modell, sannolikt kommer att leda till minskad miljöpåverkan för alla undersökta miljöeffektkategorier. Dessutom identifierades inga större juridiska hinder, även om vissa affärsmodeller kräver noggrann avtalsformulering. Flera förändringar leder dock inte till "bra affärer", antingen på grund av bristande acceptans hos användarna eller på grund av att de inte är ekonomiskt bärkraftiga.

Att designa och erbjuda arbetskläder med lång livslängd är en affärsmodell som många företag framgångsrikt implementerar. De flesta påstår att deras produkter är hållbara utan standardiserat sätt mäta.

En undersökt designförändring som vunnit accepts på marknaden och som erbjuds av projektpartnerföretaget CIRK-L är de avtagbara verktygsfickorna som möjliggör tätare och enklare tvätt och därmed längre livslängd för arbetskläder.

Tvättjänster och allt-i-ett-avtal som också möjliggör effektivare och frekventare tvätt accepteras dock inte i samma utsträckning. De visar sig vara logistiskt svåra att implementera, främst på grund av att arbetare frekvent byter arbetsplatser. De ansågs också vara för dyra för detta kundsegment, även om de framgångsrikt har tillämpats på andra segment inom industrin för arbetskläder. En anledning är att användaren för närvarande står för kostnaderna för transport och tvätt, medan dessa kontrakt skulle flytta denna kostnad till arbetsgivaren. Flera positiva värdeaspekter hittades med dessa undersökta affärsmodeller men inte tillräckligt för att uppväga kostnaderna och de praktiska utmaningarna.

Reparationstjänster baserade på reservdelar som kan bytas ut av användaren, såsom de av partnerföretaget CIRK-L erbjudna avtagbara underbenen på arbetsbyxor, förväntas vara ekonomiskt lönsamma. Då arbetskläder är relativt billiga är reparationer som involverar skräddare endast marginellt billigare än att köpa nytt då arbets- och fraktkostnader är dyra. Det innebär att kunden föredrar att köpa nytt. Flera åtgärder kan dock vidtas för att 6 förbättra situationen genom att adressera beteendeproblem kopplade till reparationer, vilket gör leveranskedjorna mer effektiva. Det finns även behov av att förbättra stödsystemen som möjliggör reparationer, t ex it- och distributionslösningar. Vissa initiala pilotprojekt och mindre satsningar som rör återanvändning eller användning för nya ändamål har identifierats men dessa kräver mer forskning.

Avslutningsvis, konsumtionsmönster för arbetskläder har också identifierats och det finns vissa tecken på överkonsumtion som bör studeras noggrannare.

The European Union (EU) has identified textiles as one of the seven key product valuechains that require increased circularity. This report aims to examine potential circularbusiness models and changes to the design of products and services in the workwearindustry from a holistic perspective, including environmental, economic, legal, and providerand customer perspectives. The focus has been on workwear for small and medium-sizedenterprises (SMEs) in the construction and building sectors. In this study, the potential toimplement various design and business model interventions, which could affect resourceconsumption and thus contribute to a more circular economy, were explored.

A key finding is that all the explored interventions, based on LCA findings, are likely toreduce environmental impacts in all examined impact categories compared to a linearmodel. Moreover, no significant legal barriers were identified, although some businessmodels require careful contract drafting. However, several interventions do not lead to“good business” either due to a lack of acceptance by the users or because they are noteconomically viable.

Designing and offering workwear with a long lifespan is a business model that manycompanies are successfully implementing. Most claim that their products are long-lastingwithout a standardized way to measure.

One examined design change that has gained market acceptance and is offered by theproject partner company CIRK-L is the detachable tool pockets, which allow for morefrequent and straightforward washing and thus longer lifespan for workwear.

However, laundry services and all-in-one contracts that also enable more efficient andfrequent washing, are not as well accepted. They prove to be logistically challenging toimplement, mainly because workers frequently change workplaces. They were alsoconsidered too expensive for this customer segment, despite having been successfullyapplied to other segments within the workwear industry. One reason is that the usercurrently bears the costs of transport to the washing facility and washing, while thesecontracts would shift this cost to the employer. Several positive value aspects were foundwith these examined business models, but not enough to outweigh the costs and practicalchallenges.

Repair services based on spare parts that can be replaced by the user, such as the detachablelower legs on work trousers offered by the partner company CIRK-L, are expected to beeconomically viable. As workwear is relatively cheap, repairs involving tailors are onlymarginally more affordable than buying new because labour and shipping costs arerelatively high. This means that the customer prefers to buy new. However, several measures can be taken to improve the situation by addressing behavioural issues related torepairs, making the repair supply chains more efficient. There is also a need to improvesupport systems that enable repairs, e.g., IT and distribution solutions. Some initial pilotprojects and small ventures related to upcycling or repurposing have also been identified,but these require further research.

Finally, consumption patterns for workwear have also been identified, and some signs ofoverconsumption should be studied more closely.

The textile industry is characterized by unsustainable consumption patterns so circular strategies are being implemented to reduce consumption and waste. Workwear is a significant part of the textile industry but has received little attention from the research community. The aim is to describe the consumption patterns of a specific segment of the workwear industry i.e., construction workwear and explore circular strategies that prolong its lifetime. Data is collected through two sets of interviews, one with construction companies and one with companies in workwear industry and analyzed based on seven circular strategies: Refuse, Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refurbish and Remanufacture. The research is conducted in Sweden where employers usually provide clothes to employees. Concerning consumption patterns, the main finding is that workwear is usually discarded due to physical defects to the product, but workwear might also lose aesthetic and comfort value. Most construction workers wash their workwear at home, but some never wash items e.g., work trousers. The most promising circular strategy for construction workwear is repair, however, it is not commonplace. Therefore, construction companies need to set up easy-to-use processes and incentivize workers to send their clothes to repair. The lifetime of clothes has already been prolonged due to design changes in recent years and there is potential for more design improvements that can facilitate various circular strategies. Some infrequent fast fashion tendencies were noted, that should be addressed through policy and other measures. This study demonstrates that the workwear industry cannot be considered a homogeneous market, because different conditions that influence circular strategies apply to different segments.

The unique properties of plastic mean that it can play an important role on the way to a more sustainable, circular and resource-efficient future. At the same time, plastic has gained a large global use in society and has come to symbolize the wear and tear of the consumer society as it is often used in short-lived products that are produced in large volumes and then thrown away. The development of various types of plastic has so far been based on desired material properties without thinking about future needs for recycling or reuse. Material recycling of plastic is low today. The big fundamental problem is that there is a large variety of different plastics, all with different combinations of additives – all to give the specific plastic the desired properties, for example, with regard to hardness, colour, fire propensity and quality. As there are such large quantities of different types of plastic that all have different quality, this leads to several problems with the possibility of material recycling and disposal of recycled raw material.Starting from design and with a focus on thermoplastics, this research has studied whether it would be possible to replace the large number of different thermoplastic variants with a smaller number that have higher performance and clear specific properties. This also includes studying the problem with coloured plastic. A smaller number of plastic variants, with higher performance and clear characteristics, is assumed to provide several benefits, for example easier logistics and separation, higher volumes of plastic that can be recycled and increased recycling value, which together are expected to provide environmental benefits and economic gains for the actors involved in the recycling.The aim of this paper is to investigate the attitude of the players in the plastics industry toward the possibility of reducing the number of variants of thermoplastics. To achieve the aim, literature studies and an interview study with a subsequent workshop have been carried out. Within the interview study, 63 respondents in the plastics industry in Sweden were interviewed, ranging from manufacturers of thermoplastics and thermoplastic products, buyers, sellers, trade associations, and recycling companies to researchers and experts. The results show that a reduced number of thermoplastics would result in higher volumes of base plastics for those who recycle plastics, allowing them to sell larger volumes of more consistent, higher-quality recycled plastics at a lower price. This would, in turn, lead to higher-quality recycling, as it should also be easier to collect and sort the plastics. In addition, financial benefits can also be obtained throughout the value chain. Challenges that have been highlighted include that both producers and consumers of thermoplastic products have high expectations for the quality of the thermoplastic. If producers and consumers can accept the quality that future recycled thermoplastics provide, it increases the possibilities for more recycled thermoplastics to be used in society.The results also show that it is possible to make a natural reduction in the number of thermoplastic variants within the plastics industry, but that this needs to be supplemented with the introduction of new laws and standards to achieve the potential environmental and economic benefits that a reduction in the number of thermoplastics can bring.

Kapitlet introducerar området miljödriven produktutveckling. Inledningsvis beskrivs produktutvecklingens roll och därefter berörs produktutveckling i ett historiskt perspektiv. Avslutningsvis beskrivs hur miljörelaterade krav kommer in i bilden.

Car components are getting more advanced when meeting customer requirements. At the same time, the requirements of having cars that are easily dismantled and recycled also increase. At Volvo Cars, there is a need to have car components adapted to ease disassembly, where one example is exterior plastic components. However, end-of-life processes of car dismantling are seldom thought of when designing exterior plastic components. Therefore, this paper aims to develop a systematic design approach to support the Design for Recycling of exterior plastic components from an end-of-life perspective. We investigated challenges, factors, and practices that affect the recycling of the cars’ exterior plastic components. In addition, we studied end-of-life and eco-design tools that are used in industry and meet the requirements established by Volvo Cars. This was then used to develop a systematic design approach to support Design for Recycling. It encompasses three steps: 1) checking the investigated component against the identified end-of-life practices (helps to identify problems and generates solutions for design improvements ), 2) comparing the generated design improvements in terms of the environmental aspect (contributes to environmentally-driven decisions), and 3) evaluating the economic recycling benefits of the design improvements. The approach can be used within the automotive industry to improve the Design for Recycling of exterior plastic components and contribute to achieving a more circular economy.

Today, we live in a linear economy and the current situation is a product of past ideas on effective markets, legal concepts and legal culture, business models and ideas on ownership and consumer culture. For us to move to a more circular economy, we need to start questioning how we look at products, markets, ownership and resources.

As a foundation for this process, this report highlights what the circular economy is about and some key issues we need to address to move towards a circular economy. It also highlights the need to connect the business and policy developments related to the circular economy to other sustainability fields, such as climate change and chemicals, and to place it within the broader context of sustainable consumption. A circular economy is not only about taking care of our resources; we must also ensure that all humans have access to the resources they need to live a decent life. Thus, the social dimensions of the circular economy should not be neglected: it must be an economy that benefits all humans.

Key messages from the report:

- Our language is a means for change. We must pay attention to terms we use and how they affect our thinking and actions.

- Circular economy is a vision of an economic system based in a systemic approach to maintain a circular flow of resources, by regenerating, retaining or adding to their value, while contributing to sustainable development.

- The circular economy principles are systems thinking, value creation, value sharing, resource availability focus, resource traceability and ecosystem resilience.

- Nothing is 100% circular, even in a circular economy.

- A new mindset is needed for design of circular economy solutions, and there is a need for an extended life cycle perspective.

- We must change current perceptions on consumption and ownership; develop a standardized nomenclature and common concepts in legal frameworks, and; support circular business models through laws and public procurement.