The closed loop
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Flip to reveal answersLinear vs circular economy?
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All 4 Flashcards — The closed loop
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Question
Linear vs circular economy?
Answer
Linear runs take, make, use, dispose — value created once and destroyed once. Circular is a closed loop where disposal becomes a return and resources are continuously repurposed.
Question
Rank the recovery loops by value kept.
Answer
Maintain keeps everything; reuse nearly everything; repair keeps the assembly; remanufacture keeps the parts; recycling keeps only the material.
Question
Why does recycling a linear product not make it circular?
Answer
It was designed to be thrown away and then partly rescued. Circular means the return was designed in — bolted not glued, separable materials, and a business that wants it back.
Question
Why is maintenance worth more than recycling?
Answer
The embodied energy of forming and assembling a product is usually far larger than the energy in its raw material, so keeping the artefact is worth more than keeping the substance.
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Topic 10.2 hub
Design for a circular economy
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