ABSTRACT
This chapter on sustainable design pedagogy outlines strategies for building competency in design for the Circular Economy. Teaching students the Waste Hierarchy (Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle, in that order) reflects the increasing amounts of energy and input required as you ‘move through the R’s. The waste hierarchy maps onto The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Economy Butterfly Diagram and therefore her Circular Economy toolkit can be used to support these strategies. This framework can be used to influence new business models, allowing students to contribute to ‘designing for a circular economy’ in a way that also reflects professional practice. Building skills and competencies, and sharing knowledge can support designers as advocates for change towards a Circular Economy and sustainability.
