In this special issue titled ‘Sustainability and SMEs: Opening the black box’, we compile eight articles that dissect the multifaceted relationship between small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and sustainability. This special issue promoted interdisciplinary research at the intersection of the design, management, organisation, and reporting of sustainable actions in the context of SMEs. Stemming from the need to apply different theoretical and analytical lenses to the study of sustainability in SMEs than in large corporations, each paper provides unique insights into the formal and informal approaches, drivers, barriers, and enablers of sustainable practices in SMEs. The collection not only furthers the dialogue on the role of SMEs in sustainable development but also paves the way for future research directions and practical applications in this dynamic and still underexplored field.

After the second Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for the Plastics Treaty meeting in Paris in June 2023, a Zero Draft of the Treaty was released for comment. Member states involved in the treaty negotiations were to respond to the Zero Draft before the third INC meeting in November 2023 in Nairobi. In this paper, we analyse the content and structure of the Zero Draft. We identify parts of the Zero Draft that work and others that will need further attention. These include applicability to different regions; atmospheric input; recycling and waste management; labelling and standards; harmful chemicals; scientific backing; the circular economy; just transition and climate change. We argue that this draft was a useful starting point for further negotiations for member states and the Revised version of the Zero Draft has resolved some of its shortcomings but not all. These are likely to contribute to further debate during future INC negotiations. We conclude with an overview of INC-3 and INC-4 and how the Zero Draft and Revised Zero Draft were received.

Sustainability evaluations are increasingly relevant in the design of products. Within sustainability-related frameworks, circular economy (CE) has gained attention in the last few years, and this has vastly affected design, leading, for example, to design for circularity. This article deals with the wide range of product-level CE assessment tools, out of which some are applied to a case study from the building sector, namely a tiny house made with hemp bricks. Attention was specifically paid to those methods through which a single circularity indicator could be extrapolated. Overall, the objective of this work is to study the convergence of existing CE assessment methods in providing consistent circularity performances. The results show similarities in the overall circularity scores despite differences in the variables used to achieve that final score. Thus, despite the lack of standard methods, the results suggest that many of these tools are sufficiently interchangeable, also in consideration of consistent indications to improve the circularity of the tiny house. This means that consistent inputs are provided to anyone willing to redesign the tiny house with the objective of making it more circular irrespective of the assessment tool used.

This study surveyed 190 healthcare professionals to examine attitudes towards reusable surgical gowns, aiming to reduce medical waste. Comfort (scoring 5.32 out of 7) and misconceptions about gowns serving as personal protective equipment (87% hold this belief) are crucial influencers. External motivators, trust, emotions, and workload also impact perceptions. The study recommends enhancing reusable gown design for comfort, multifunctionality, and hygiene trust. It calls for communication strategies to normalise reusables in healthcare and urges a transition to sustainable practices.

Extensive research found many barriers and drivers in second-hand clothing (SHC) acquisition. This study explores their relationships and the role of design in enhancing SHC experiences. 16 semi-structured interviews revealed insights into personal experiences and emotions. Customer journey mapping highlighted 5 design interventions: a. effective branding and marketing, b. appealing clothing presentation, c. facilitating garment search, d. aiding quality inspection, and e. optimizing price-quality balance. Future, quantitative, research is needed to confirm the findings for a wider public.

To enable a truly circular economy in product engineering, the development of products in generations must be considered. Thus, we strive to enable a forward-looking circularity approach, proposing the integration of system generation engineering (SGE) with circular economy principles. By analysing the qualitative interrelations among product generations driven by distinct value preservation strategies on various value creation tiers ("R-strategies"), we extend prior SGE research to advance model theory and support practical application of circular product engineering.

The landscape of reuse and repair (R&R) activities for manufactured products is vibrant: new European laws, research projects, local initiatives. Our aim is to capture the current and future challenges of the field through an industrial workshop held at the ICED23 conference. A collective reflection was conducted with three French stakeholders: a Product Responsibility Organization, a social and solidarity organization, and a private company producing water-driven dosing pumps. The study results in a multi-level perspective on the R&R value chain and four R&R future scenarios.

This paper examines the role of remanufacturing in healthcare as a key circular design strategy, particularly for medical devices, assessing its socio-technical, environmental, and economic dimensions of sustainability. Through a detailed case of ultrasound catheters, it demonstrates how remanufacturing can lead to resource conservation, cost savings, and enhanced product lifecycles in health care without compromising quality and patient safety. The study argues for systemic changes in healthcare practices to fully integrate remanufacturing, underscoring its role beyond a technical solution.

Based on circular economy readiness assessments of six value chain layers, 18 design strategies and five collaboration strategies for circular economy were identified. The design strategies have many applications, from the design of materials, products, and processes to business models, and while some are specific to determined layers, others can be addressed by companies in multiple layers. Furthermore, collaboration across the value chain was found to affect positively the employment of circular economy design strategies, contributing to the fulfilment of solutions’ circularity potential.

This study envisions a unified paradigm for design for automated disassembly. The goal is to integrate disassembly insights related to precious material recovery with the design phase for sustainable lifecycle management.Targeting plastic products with embedded electronics, the collaboration between design and robotic engineers aims to program a robot for disassembly for the LEGO® motor (45603) as demonstration, emphasizing a disassembly map as a vital tool. By considering the limitations and strengths of robots, this research pioneers a design for disassembly framework.

The paper investigates approaches for implementing circular economy strategies, such as designing mechatronic products for longer service life by replacing, upgrading, or remanufacturing subsystems. The research aims at applying MBSE to provide the necessary support for dealing with the complexity of these approaches. Requirements and challenges for the development of MBSE support in this context are examined. An example of an EV battery system model shows the benefits and challenges of comprehensive system modelling and traceability in the context of circular economy strategies.

This study, conducted with Northvolt, examines battery system recyclability and disassembly dynamics. It introduces indices for material and product recyclability, along with disassembly time assessment. The goal is to create a design tool to streamline the evaluation of battery disassembly, aiding in designing recyclable and serviceable components. These methodologies serve as a blueprint for enhancing battery systems' overall sustainability and circularity design, presenting a base for future product development in alignment with environmental and economic objectives.

While the “useful life” of products plays an important role in the balance of sustainability and lifecycle assessment, the concept of durability, as the main measure of useful life, is still ill-defined. This paper critically considers the limitations of the current definitions and approaches to durability, by reflecting on the complex interactions of the viewpoints of engineering design teams, users, society and business economics. A new definition is proposed for durability relating to the useful life goals for a product within its techno-socio-economic context.

As the world deals with climate change, it is crucial that new products are designed to be more sustainable. Product design strategies which conform to the Circular Economy principles have recently gained attention, which promote sustainability and resource efficiency. However, such strategies require careful consideration of uncertainties and the ways to mitigate them, e.g. by using margins. The pursuit of circularity can inadvertently lead to overdesign as designers strive to mitigate elevated risks, thereby making a product less sustainable. In this paper, we explore this balance.

Education for Sustainable Development requires raising individuals' awareness of problems relevant to the environment. We designed a Generative Toolkit that supports industrial design students carrying out a Speculative Design task and through this process initiates greater problem awareness of low metal recycling rates. In this paper we give insights into the Toolkit's theoretical derivation and the design process. Findings from testing suggest that there are several opportunities for improvement, such as considering further content-related competencies in the Toolkit's design.

Circular business models (CBMs) focus on cycling, extending, intensifying, and/or dematerialising material and energy loops to reduce resource inputs and waste and emission leakage. We aim to explore consumer behaviour in circular economy through a systematic literature review to determine barriers and motivators to implementing CBMs, analysing twenty-eight articles. We identified internal motivations, such as economic and environmental concerns; and external factors facilitating engagement with circularity, such as better awareness, and products with design for circularity.

To advance the circular economy, there is a need to take an ecosystem view of business models for circularity in which different actors interact dynamically to create economic, environmental and social value. This research introduces the Circular Business Ecosystem Model Canvas, a novel method to prototype a circular ecosystem of business models. The case of ferric chloride, an inorganic coagulant for wastewater treatment, is used to demonstrate the new canvas and show how it supports the development of a more holistic perspective on sustainability-oriented business model innovation.

Implementing a product design that incorporates circular economy aspects is a highly intricate task. Its complexity stems from various aspects, such as the interdependent solution space and the challenge to evaluate the impact of circular design in early development phases. To facilitate informed decision-making, a support system is necessary that integrates product-oriented circular measures, and derives their effect on the product's design and its circularity. We present an approach for such a support system, including its evaluation on the design of an automotive center console.