materialbruk

Materialbruk is the practice of selecting, using, and managing materials throughout the life cycle of a product, building, or system. It encompasses sourcing, fabrication, assembly, maintenance, and end-of-life handling. The goal is to achieve required performance and function while reducing resource use, waste, and environmental impact through careful material choice and design.

Core principles include durability, repairability, recyclability, and the possibility of reuse or modularity, enabling products to remain in use longer or be repurposed after their primary function ends. Materialbruk emphasizes material efficiency, design for disassembly, and a shift toward circular economy practices such as recycling, cascading use, and circular supply chains.

Practitioners use methods such as life cycle assessment (LCA), environmental product declarations (EPD), and material passports to compare options and communicate environmental performance. Design approaches like design for manufacturability, disassembly, and modularity support easier maintenance, upgrades, and end-of-life recovery.

Applications span architecture, construction, product design, and fashion, with emphasis on low-embodiment-energy materials, longevity, and adaptability. In construction, materialbruk favors timber and recycled content, modular assemblies, and rehabilitation over demolition when feasible. In consumer products, it favors standardized components and repairability to extend life.

Challenges include data gaps, trade-offs between cost, performance, and sustainability, and complex supply chains. Policy and standards increasingly promote material transparency, responsible sourcing, and waste reduction, supporting a transition to circular material flows.