Most people can agree that it would be more sustainable to reuse materials in the trash that we throw away to make new products. Even though, it’s not that much of the waste that is being used again. What is it that makes recovering resources from waste so difficult? In the doctoral thesis “Designing out waste: exploring barriers for material recirculation” by Isabel Ordonez Pizarro we find out what some of the common problems are when it comes to recirculating materials in society and suggestions for how to overcome them.
​Since the topic is so broad, Isabel has done several studies where she has looked at three different stages that might be needed to recirculate materials in society, and the material flow between these. The stages are production, use of products and disposal of products.