Daniela C. A. Pigosso

Technical University of Denmark | DTU · Department of Mechanical Engineering

Society’s most well-intended efforts to solve sustainability challenges have not yet achieved the expected gains due to rebound effects (i.e., negative consequences of interventions arising from induced changes in system behaviour). Rebound effects offset about 40% of potential sustainability gains, but the understanding of design as a key leverage...

This article analyses and proposes a few methodological approaches to account for carbon emissions of circular economy strategies within manufacturing companies designing circular products and services and to report their emissions reduction targets under the Science-based Target initiative (SBTi). We specifically reviewed the current accounting fo...

Current research in Circular Economy (CE) fails to address the occurrence of Rebound Effects (RE), which are systemic and behavioural responses to the implementation of interventions hindering the potential sustainability benefits. This paper aims to advance the academic discussion and the practical consideration of RE by exploring the potential of...

Recent decades have seen substantial increase in efforts to appease environmental challenges and to foster sustainability in business and society. As a direct result, numerous philosophies for sustainability have emerged, including Circular Economy, Sustainable Development Goals, Natural Capitalism, amongst many others. All of these are movements s...

Extended producer responsibility (EPR) as a policy principle has been in practice in different product-country settings for a few decades now, and yet its implementation, as well as the outcomes, have varied. Amid the sustainability crises posed by the take-make-dispose-based linear economy and the transgression of the various planetary boundaries,...

Trade-offs involving multiple criteria that cannot be satisfied at the same time are ubiquitous in engineering design activities. Navigating trade-off decisions can be challenging, especially when it comes to sustainability-related decisions in early-stage projects. Through a systematic literature review, we unravel the challenges related to sustai...

Based on circular economy readiness assessments of six value chain layers, 18 design strategies and five collaboration strategies for circular economy were identified. The design strategies have many applications, from the design of materials, products, and processes to business models, and while some are specific to determined layers, others can b...

This paper explores the interplay of feedback principles in design and systems science. From their roots in engineering, biology, and economics, it investigates intersections between design, cybernetics and servomechanisms. The synthesis emphasizes the need for considering feedback in anticipating unintended consequences and proposes an integrative...

Sustainable Product Development (SPD) enables the systematic incorporation of sustainability into product development and can be achieved by implementing a number of management practices. An industry survey was conducted to investigate the capability of manufacturing companies to apply a consolidated set of 61 SPD management practices. The results...

The implementation of product-service systems (PSS) is prone to the occurrence of rebound effects (RE). This research aims to systematically identify the rebound mechanisms in a PSS context. Through the case study of a use-oriented PSS offer, we showcase a structured way to address RE that led to a comprehensive mapping of 23 mechanisms. The analys...

Despite its importance, the understanding of the behavioural mechanisms underlying rebound effects triggered by sustainable design is still limited. Through a systematic literature review, this study analyses and discusses 18 behavioural mechanisms. The key gaps of behavioural research on rebound effects are (1) limited in-depth analysis of differe...

The discourse surrounding sustainable consumption and production has evolved to encompass sufficiency strategies in addition to efficiency and effectiveness. Product-service systems (PSSs) can promote sufficiency by replacing traditional product-intensive systems with dematerialized services and changes in ownership structures. Sufficiency-oriented...

Manufacturing firms are facing the critical need to manage their business growth while staying within the biophysical limits of the planet. Absolute environmental sustainability decoupling (AESD) combines these goals and is one of the keys for manufacturing firms to achieve their sustainable transition. This study offers an initial contribution to...

Throughout time, the definition of sustainability has been interpreted differently and different philosophies have consequently emerged, each with its own vision of a sustainable society. At the same time, manufacturing firms have focused on environmental improvements, but social aspects have often been neglected. This study identifies 11 philosoph...

The integration of sustainability into highly uncertain technology development is key to support manufacturing companies to reduce their environmental impacts. The use of future scenarios to support decision-making in early design for sustainability is promising, but there is a lack of systematic guidelines on how to build them. Through literature...

Throughout time, the definition of sustainability has been interpreted differently and different philosophies have consequently emerged, each with its own vision of a sustainable society. At the same time, manufacturing firms have focused on environmental improvements, but social aspects have often been neglected. This study identifies 11 philosoph...

Special issue information: A ‘net-zero’ economy is expected to be developed in the next few years to help towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) proposed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s Agenda 2030 and the 2050 Paris Agreement’s Climate Goals. To do so, changes in production and consumption patterns are needed, as wel...

Rebound Effects (RE) are systemic responses that are relentlessly hindering the achievement of sustainability actions’ intended effects. Despite the wide recognition of RE, the limited understanding of the underlying causal structures sustaining their occurrence hampers the ability to anticipate, prevent, and tackle them. To explore how feedback th...

Sustainability considerations are increasingly important for manufacturing companies seeking to develop products that meet the needs of society and the environment. The way technologies are assessed in the early design stages plays a crucial role in the integration of sustainability into innovation activities – a necessary step towards the developm...

Despite the strong contribution of wind energy for decarbonisation, the readiness of the wind industry for the transition to a sustainable circular economy (CE) is still unclear. To support CE innovation in the wind industry, this paper assesses the circularity readiness of six business units from three global manufacturers of wind turbine componen...

The Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) is a critical policy framework to facilitate the CE and sustainability transition in the European Union. However, unintended consequences can hinder the success of such policies. This research explores the potential intended and unintended consequences of a policy initiative within the CEAP (the common charge...

Purpose to propose two enhancements for the European Union’s Circular Material Use rate (CMU): inclusion of Preparation for Reuse (PfR) flows and enhanced reproducibility across lower levels of analysis. Methods PfR flows are added to the material flow Sankey Diagram. The Local Circularity Rate (LCR) is based in the CMU and is broke down in three...

Rebound effects (RE) are systemic responses to sustainability-oriented actions that have relentlessly offset the anticipated effects, hindering sustainability transitions. Limitations to account for feedback, delays, and non-linearities hinder a deep understanding of RE, leading to divergent magnitude estimates and management recommendations. There...

The design of Product-Service Systems (PSS) in manufacturing companies has been widely researched over the past three decades, with contributions from various backgrounds. However, the multidisciplinary field led to the development of disparate approaches for PSS design, which furthermore deficiently include sustainability considerations. Such disc...

Reverse Logistics (RL) of end-of-use/end-of-life products has become a vital part of circular economy practices for manufacturers. However, significant quantities of resources are still landfilled instead of being recovered. With mounting pressure on businesses to address the sustainability crises (resources, climate change, waste, toxicity) on acc...

Circular Economy (CE) has gained great traction over the past few years and is increasingly seen as a way to achieve sustainable development. However, the implementation of CE initiatives often leads to rebound effects (RE), which limits the sustainability potential of CE. Despite the vast literature on rebound effects across several disciplines, s...

Product-Service Systems (PSS) have recently regained attention in the literature and industry due to their potential to contribute to sustainability. PSS are also enjoying renewed attention, currently, as the large societal focus on circular economy (CE) enforces the potential of PSS. However, PSS are not more sustainable than traditional offerings...

Purpose This study aims to develop a systematic method called servitization maturity model to support companies in developing distinctive capabilities for successful servitization. Design/methodology/approach The concept of maturity models is adopted to support companies in developing distinctive capabilities for servitization. A systematic litera...

The Circular Economy has been pointed out by scholars and policymakers as a promising approach to decouple economic growth from resource consumption and waste generation [...]

Corporate climate action is critical in supporting the transition towards a low-carbon economy. This paper explores what design practices have been adopted by manufacturing companies that have committed to science-based emission reduction targets and are making progress towards those targets. We contribute to the existing literature by providing em...

This paper proposes an approach for capital goods manufacturers to design Product-Service System (PSS) pilot projects by selecting appropriate products and customers. The authors conducted a single-case empirical study as a part of an ongoing action research project to maximise the learnings from a pilot project while minimising expenditure in exte...

Closing the material loop is fundamental to circular economy (CE). However, significant quantities of resources are currently landfilled. Today, companies realise the importance of take-back for CE but face several barriers in implementing it, lack of knowledge, being one such barrier. To address this, a proposal is presented for the design of a co...

Current CE approach, and its many definitions, does not explicitly consider the interconnectedness of the biological and technological cycle. This paper uses state-of-the-art to articulate nuances of the CE to encourage a more comprehensive understanding of the concept from a perspective of both cycles. The results address that acknowledged sustain...

The digital age we live in offers companies many opportunities to jointly advance sustainability and competitiveness. New digital technologies can, in fact, support the incorporation of circular economy principles into businesses, enabling new business models and facilitating the redesign of products and value chains. Despite this considerable pote...

Focus on take-back of waste products is currently enjoying increased importance, as attention on environmental sustainability and circular economy grows. Single-Use or Disposable Medical Devices (SUDs), which in homecare settings often end up in landfills or incineration, are currently subject to attention, regarding the potential to slow the flow...

Using the approach presented for this focus area will provide you with insight into what and where the current impacts of your business are in terms of relevant environmental, social and economic indicators. This will help you identify opportunities to improve your circular economy initiative, so it also brings the desired sustainability benefits.

Considering the growing number of metrics and indicators to assess the circular economy transition, it is paramount to shed light on how they complement and differ from traditional approaches, such as life cycle assessment or sustainability performance indicators. This study provides new empirical insights on the correlation between life cycle asse...

Public policies, incentives, and infrastructure are top-down instruments that can align stakeholders' roles and expectations for Circular Economy (CE) transitions, but it is crucial to analyse the possible effects of such instruments before implementation. This research investigates the Brazilian Industrial Agreement for Electrical and Electronic E...

This paper aims to present early considerations in the process of Product-Service System (PSS) development driven by sustainability in a capital goods manufacturing company. Based on the elicitation of drivers and barriers for such companies to introduce PSS, the empirical study described in the paper reports on the experiences from representative...

Current production and consumption patterns are unsustainable, causing irreversible damage to the environment and human health and well-being. Designers play a vital role in resolving this problem—their decisions affect product manufacturing, distribution, use, and disposal—and hence they must be aware of the positive and negative impacts of their...

Decision-makers in the public policy and business arenas need tools to deal with multiple sources of complexity in Circular Economy (CE) transitions. System Dynamics (SD) facilitates coping with increased complexity by enabling closed-loop thinking via identifying the causal structures underlying behaviour and permitting to proactively experiment w...

Ecodesign is a proactive approach for enhancing the product’s environmental performance through a holistic consideration of the environmental impacts associated with the phases of its life cycle, from raw material extraction and manufacturing to use and end-of-life. Over the last decades, a number of methods and tools have been developed for the im...

To support the transition to sustainable development, eco-design must lead to the development of products that provide additional value when compared to traditional products, ultimately resulting in market success. In this study, creativity principles are explored as leverage points for eco-design implementation, enhancing customer acceptance and m...

The purpose of this paper is to showcase initial considerations taken in the process of Product-Service Systems (PSS) development in the capital goods manufacturing companies. The focus is on the identification of both generic drivers and barriers that typically present themselves. Drivers and barriers are classified and compared, with respect to d...

Product-service/systems (PSS) have been projected to be a potential solution to address overconsumption and to enable an enhanced sustainability performance. However, PSS do not always live up to their potential benefits, due to unintended changes in consumer behaviour. This study aims at investigating existing methods and tools to develop sustaina...

Considering a growing number of metrics and indicators to assess circular economy, it is of paramount importance to shed light on how they differ from traditional approaches, such as life cycle assessment (LCA) or sustainability performance indicators. This study provides new empirical insights on the correlation between LCA, circularity, and susta...

This study undertakes a systematic analysis of literature within Circular Economy (CE) in an industrial perspective, with a focus on understanding the consideration of the biological and technological cycles, as well as dual circularity. The paper articulates the key research differences, gaps and trends on the basis of publication evolution, key s...

Circular Economy in the Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) supply chain has a significant (and still unexploited) potential. This paper aims to systematically review the knowledge emerging from the literature at the intersection between Circular Economy and the EEE supply chain, with a special focus on enablers, levers, and their potential e...

Circular Economy (CE) is a key approach to supporting a transition towards sustainable growth. However, due to the lack of understanding of readiness for the CE transition, manufacturing companies still face a number of challenges in successfully implementing CE. This paper describes the development of a CE readiness self-assessment tool, MATChE (M...

Product-service systems (PSS) enable product-oriented manufacturing companies to differentiate their offerings and become more competitive, while creating more value for customers along with improved economic performance and, in some cases, reduced environmental impact. However, PSS development remains difficult for manufacturing companies due to l...

Circular economy business model innovation is challenging, as it requires the consideration of new variables, adding complexity to decision-making. Despite the range of existing approaches for circular economy business model innovation, they are limited in providing adequate advice to practitioners. Key limitations are related to a lack of a holist...

Shortcomings in manufacturing companies’ capabilities to execute circular economy business modelling have delayed a broader dissemination of circular business models beyond the stage of pilot projects in niche markets. Circular economy poses additional uncertainties for innovation that are not common for manufacturing companies’ traditional activit...

Jedes Produkt hat über seinen gesamten Lebenszyklus hinweg Auswirkungen auf die Umwelt (z.Bs. durch den Verbrauch von Ressourcen und die Entstehung von Abfällen). Es wird zunehmend anerkannt, dass Hersteller und Verbraucher eine gemeinsame Verantwortung tragen, dafür zu sorgen, dass die negativen Umweltauswirkungen, die durch die Herstellung und de...

Integration of sustainability criteria from a triple bottom line perspective is considered a challenge for manufacturing actors, who are engaged in developing sustainability-oriented initiatives. The earlier in the development process the criteria are integrated and sustainability potential is evaluated, the more opportunities exist to introduce im...

Product design and development are essential for a circular transition. Circularity decisions, such as those concerning the type of material, assembly method, and expected lifespan, made during the early design stages will significantly influence a product’s quality, cost, esthetics, sustainability, and circularity performance over the product life...

The market penetration of business models for Circular Economy is limited in most manufacturing sectors due to shortcomings in capabilities of companies to execute Circular Economy Business Model innovation. Available approaches are still generic and provide limited help for contextualised solutions within sectorial challenges. This paper introduce...

A number of archetypes exist to describe potential business models for circular economy, but the majority of them lack validation in practice. Although diversity is natural for an emerging field such as circular economy, building consensus of terminology and archetypes is important to achieve a shared discourse, which is fundamental for the impleme...

The Circular Economy is gaining traction in academia, industry, and policy making as an alternative model that minimises resource depletion, waste, and emissions. To implement the concept on the organisational level, business models are an important leverage. A body of literature has emerged investigating the notion of circular business model and c...

Continuing the series of Research Topics published by Frontiers, we invite contributions for a newly edited volume, dedicated to Sustainable Manufacturing (SM) and Industry 4.0 (I4.0) topics. Some of the subjects of interest include, but are not limited to: • Monitoring solutions and indicators in SM. • Digitalization of manufacturing systems in SM...

Environmental pressures and climate change are leading companies and supply chains to consider new models for environmental protection. Circular Economy emerged as a sustainability paradigm able to decouple economic growth from resource consumption and waste generation. In the Waste from Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) industry there is th...

Eco-Design Strategies lead to both enhanced environmental sustainability and product differentiation, which, however, takes place only if observers recognize and value these advantages. To study this aspect, a sample of 40 product pictures has been administered to 12 subjects with experience in eco-design. They were asked to evaluate whether one or...