URBANREC

As designing with recycled materials is becoming indispensable in the context of a circulareconomy, we argue that understanding how recycled plastics are perceived by stakeholdersinvolved in the front end of the design process, is essential to achieve successful application inpractice, beyond the current concept of surrogates according to industry. Based on existingframeworks, 34 experiential scales with semantic opposites were used to evaluate samples of threeexemplary recycled plastics by two main industrial stakeholders: 30 material engineers and 30designers. We describe four analyses: (i) defining experiential material characteristics, (ii) significantdifferences between the materials, (iii) level of agreement of respondents, and (iv) similarities anddifferences between designers and engineers. We conclude that the three materials have differentperceptual profiles or identities that can initiate future idea generation for high?quality applications.The study illustrates the potential of this evaluation method. We propose that designers canfacilitate the valorization and adoption of these undervalued recycled materials, first by industryand ultimately by consumers as well.

» Author: Veelaert

» Reference: doi: 10.3390/su12051953

» Publication Date: 04/03/2020

» More Information

« Go to Technological Watch