RecyclabilityMake

RecyclabilityMake (RM) is a design and manufacturing approach that emphasizes maximizing product recyclability by incorporating end-of-life considerations into the development process. It seeks to simplify material streams, facilitate disassembly, and reduce contamination.

The term is used in sustainability discourse to describe a family of practices rather than a standardized standard. It has been discussed in industry reports and academic literature as part of broader efforts toward the circular economy.

Core principles: selecting recyclable materials, favoring mono-material or clearly separable materials, ensuring ease of disassembly, avoiding permanent bonds that hinder recycling, using modular designs, providing product-level information (material disclosures, bill of materials), compatibility with local and regional recycling streams, and using design for disassembly guidelines and product passports.

Methods and tools: life cycle assessment, design for disassembly guidelines, labeling schemes, standardized fasteners, modular components, supply chain collaboration, and digital product passports. In practice, RM can be integrated into existing design processes and EPR schemes.

Applications and impact: examples in packaging redesign to be recyclable, electronics with modular components, automotive dashboards using recyclable plastics; expected benefits include higher recycling rates, lower environmental impact, and potential regulatory advantages.

Challenges and criticisms: conceptual ambiguity, potential trade-offs with durability or cost, risk of greenwashing if not tied to actual recycling infrastructure, need for harmonized metrics and credible verification.

See also: circular economy, eco-design, design for disassembly, end-of-life management, product stewardship.