Design for reuse

Designing for reuse plays a significant role in a sustainable transformation. When done correctly, it considers various factors, such as the product's functionality, aesthetics, and durability. This approach also requires designers to shift their focus from the traditional “take, make, waste” model to one emphasising longevity and reusability.

Turning back the clock

We know that overproduction and waste are significant obstacles to true sustainability, and disposable design is a relatively new term in the history of lifestyle products. Historically, longevity and reuse were the norm. We can bring back these values by revitalising historical knowledge and combining it with new business models and modern innovation.

Betina Simonsen CEO

Lifestyle Design Cluster

At the Lifestyle & Design Cluster, we strive to combine these elements and to build a bridge between the lifestyle and design industry and our knowledge institutions. We know the design industry is standing on the threshold of a future where durability, repairability, and safe and recycled materials will become the typical legal requirements.

Creating relevant designs

Designing for reuse is an excellent way to embed products with more meaning and values that customers want to pay more for. To create relevant designs for reuse, designers must take a user-centric approach, listening and investing in research. We are facilitating this research with the Danish design schools. Recent projects include examining the mindset of future customers and the habits within new resale business models, along with web-based models for product design and mockups. A user-centric approach can lead to increased user satisfaction and better product performance.

The industry’s role in promoting design for reuse goes beyond creating products that can be used multiple times. It must also consider the end of a product's lifecycle and how it can be repurposed or recycled. Companies must create products that can be disassembled easily and components that can be reused or recycled. By doing this, they can help to reduce the amount of waste that is generated and conserve resources at the same time.

New solutions

Denmark is internationally known for its traditions within furniture and design, with durable and timeless pieces that maintain value and are kept for generations. This tradition is rubbing off on other design-focused businesses. Many start-ups enter the markets with solutions intended to combat the single-use and overproduction problem, with designs for reuse in their DNA.