Currently, products are produced in a linear production model and end up as waste: an unrecyclable mix of materials. This is not sustainable in the light of future resource scarcity. Moving towards a Circular Economy, where the focus lies on the reusability and recycling of materials, is therefore essential. DSM-Niaga wants to contribute to this transition. They redesign products to make them suitable for a Circular Economy.
However, one hurdle in this transition is that circularity asks for information transport and transparency along the value chain. In order to reuse and recycle products, the specific material properties that are needed for these processes should be known throughout the circle. DSM-Niaga sees that for large scale transition towards a Circular Economy, large scale ingredient transparency is key in this process. Our team will support DSM-Niaga in this process towards radical ingredient transparency.
In order to do this, we will develop a materials passport. This is a concept that includes all the specifics that are needed to recycle materials. As a start we will look into one of the newly designed circular products, a mattress that DSM-Niaga developed together with Auping. We will dive into all the different aspects of the processes and materials involved with the mattress to make a scalable and feasible materials passport for the mattress. Finally, we will use this case study of a materials passport to develop a general materials passport, suitable for many more circular products. This will provide one of the essentials for Circular Economy, large scale transparency of the product’s ingredients. By carrying out this project, together with DSM-Niaga, we want to make this Circular Economy happen.
