Design for Disassembly - A Circular Approach

Abstract

As the world becomes increasingly aware of the need to better care for the environment, innovative business models are helping to counter the damage of the fast fashion system - a phenomenon in the fashion industry whereby production processes are expedited in order to get new trends to the market as quickly and cheaply as possible. 

Designing products with a focus on their renewability can shift the product-consumer relationship. The closed-loop concept of a “circular economy” is emerging as a viable and promising solution to the current linear business model.  

This research demonstrates a circular approach to the production of hospitality accessories in an effort to develop new intersections between products, materials, and consumers. The accessories are designed using discarded, reformulated denim–an abundant and underutilized byproduct of the fashion industry–to reduce waste that currently occurs every time hotel chains and airlines produce disposable giveaway products from new materials.

Complete thesis can be read and downloaded here.