7.6
Francesca Toolkit
Circular Design Evaluation Worksheet
The Circular Design Evaluation Worksheet helps furniture companies assess how well a product supports circular economy principles through its physical design and technical architecture. The tool enables organisations to evaluate product modularity, disassembly, repairability, refurbishment potential, and material recovery capabilities. It supports companies in identifying design weaknesses that limit circular operations and helps prioritise improvements that extend product lifecycles and improve resource recovery. The worksheet also supports integration with Digital Product Passports (DPPs) and other lifecycle documentation systems by structuring key product and material information in a systematic way.
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Objective
The Circular Design Evaluation Worksheet helps furniture companies assess how well a product supports circular economy principles through its physical design and technical architecture.
The tool enables organisations to evaluate product modularity, disassembly, repairability, refurbishment potential, and material recovery capabilities. It supports companies in identifying design weaknesses that limit circular operations and helps prioritise improvements that extend product lifecycles and improve resource recovery.
The worksheet also supports integration with Digital Product Passports (DPPs) and other lifecycle documentation systems by structuring key product and material information in a systematic way.
What the Tool Is
The Circular Design Evaluation Worksheet is a practical product assessment and improvement tool used to evaluate the circular readiness of furniture products.
It combines:
- product architecture mapping
- disassembly scoring
- repairability assessment
- refurbishment evaluation
- material recovery analysis
into a structured evaluation process that helps organisations identify technical barriers and opportunities for circular product design.
The tool supports both:
- existing product evaluation
- early-stage circular product redesign
and helps translate circular strategy into concrete design improvements.
When to Use the Tool
This tool is particularly useful when companies are:
- Evaluating whether products support repair, refurbishment, reuse, or recycling
- Redesigning products for circularity or regulatory compliance
- Identifying technical barriers to circular business models
- Developing products compatible with refurbishment or Furniture-as-a-Service models
- Preparing Digital Product Passport documentation
- Assessing disassembly and material recovery potential
- Prioritising product-level circular design improvements
The tool can be applied both:
- during product development
- and during evaluation of existing products already in the market.
It is especially relevant for companies exploring:
- modular design
- repair services
- refurbishment systems
- reverse logistics
- lifecycle extension strategies.
Expected Output
The exercise produces a Circular Design Evaluation Report describing:
- product modularity and architecture
- disassembly performance
- repairability potential
- refurbishment feasibility
- material recovery capability
- technical barriers to circularity
- recommended product design improvements
- DPP and lifecycle documentation readiness
This output helps organisations identify how product design influences the feasibility of circular business models and lifecycle management strategies.
Record Product Information
Document the basic product details, including product category, model, manufacturer, evaluation team, and assessment date.
Map Product Architecture
Identify the main product modules, materials used, likely wear components, reusable components, and disassembly challenges.
Conduct Disassembly Assessment
Evaluate the product using the disassembly scoring dimensions:
- fastener accessibility
- connection type
- disassembly time
- tool requirements
- component independence
- material separation
Calculate the overall disassembly score and circular design level.
Assess Repairability
Evaluate whether key components can be repaired or replaced efficiently, including spare parts availability and repair accessibility.
Assess Refurbishment Potential
Examine whether products can be economically refurbished and reintroduced into secondary markets.
Assess Material Recovery
Evaluate how easily materials can be identified, separated, and recovered through existing recycling pathways.
Identify Improvement Opportunities
Document technical weaknesses and define potential design improvements together with their expected circular impact.
Prioritise Recommended Actions
Identify high-, medium-, and low-priority design interventions and assign responsibilities where relevant.
Review Product Data Integration
Assess whether the product supports lifecycle documentation requirements such as:
- material composition tracking
- repair instructions
- spare parts catalogues
- DPP compatibility
Office furniture remanufacturer: An office furniture remanufacturer establishes a take-back logistics system and refurbishment facility to recover used workstations from corporate fit-outs and return them to the market — an operating model comparable to Rype Office.
Resources