Lifecycle Thinking: Towards Circularity

Question 1

Extending Life vs. Giving New Life

Answer 1

● Extending life: Prolongs existing lifecycles in the use/reuse stage and is an important part of
both linear and circular systems

● Giving new life (e.g., 2nd, 3rd, or 4th life) to a material/product is central to circular systems
○ Post-consumer vs. post-industrial waste

Question 2

In contrast to the linear economy, a circular economy and systems that embrace circulatory

Answer 2

Treat the “waste” of a product/process as the input/resources for something else

Closes the loop

Moves from “Cradle to grave” to “Cradle to cradle”

Not to be confused with extending the lifecycle

Question 3

Linear economy:

Answer 3

“Raw materials are collected and transformed
into products that consumers use until discarding them as
waste”. No or little concern for their ecological footprint and consequences

Question 4

Circular economy:

Answer 4

“Economic system designed with the
intention that maximum use is extracted from resources and
minimum waste is generated for disposal”. Based on three
principles:

○ Eliminate waste and pollution.
○ Circulate products and materials.
○ Regenerate nature

Question 5

Life Cycle Thinking

Answer 5

A way of thinking that includes the
economic, environmental, and social consequences of a product
or process over its entire life

Question 6

Life Cycle Analysis

Answer 6

“A method used to evaluate the environmental impact of a product through its life cycle”

Question 7

Interventions to Help Companies Reduce Product
Life Cycle Impacts

Answer 7

1. Narrowing resource loops: Using less material per product
2. Slowing resource loops: Extending product life
3. Closing resource loops: Reusing materials
4. Regenerating resource loops: Rviving natural resources
   used in production processes