What if materials never became waste? Our planet would be better off and so would we. But designing out waste goes beyond mindset. It’s a holistic approach that influences every step of the design and production process from sourcing raw materials to how products are used, reused and eventually reimagined.
Circularity sounds clear. But in practice, it gets messy. The term is everywhere, but the meaning? Often blurred. Not every recycled product is truly sustainable. And full-cycle design isn’t a finish line. It’s the start of asking better questions.
The Rise (and Risk) of Circularity
Circular design has gone mainstream. What used to be a niche ambition is now a common claim. And while that shift is overdue, it comes with risk. As more products are labelled sustainable, transparency starts to slip. Recycled content becomes a marketing hook. Certifications are quoted without context. The result? A circular narrative that spins faster than it should and trust that wears thin.
Where's the Proof?
Full-cycle design needs more than good intentions. It needs proof. That’s where Life Cycle Assessment comes in.
A large-scale academic review of 99 studies shows that LCA plays a key role in testing whether circular strategies actually deliver. Most efforts focus on resource efficiency or end-of-life planning. Meanwhile, longer-term strategies like product longevity and circular business models receive far less attention.
The construction sector leads in applying multiple strategies backed by LCA. But other industries, including textiles and chemicals, remain underexplored. That gap matters. Because without solid data, circularity risks becoming a claim rather than a commitment.
LCA reveals trade-offs, uncovers environmental hotspots and helps guide better decisions. But inconsistent methods and missing metrics still slow things down. To move forward, we need transparency, structure and a shared standard. Anything less isn’t circular, it’s just vague.
Source: Falsafi, A., Togiani, A., Colley, A., Varis, J. & Horttanainen, M. (2025). Life cycle assessment in circular design process: A systematic literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 521. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.146188)
Why Full-Cycle Design Needs Full-Cycle Thinking
It’s not enough to use recycled content. Circularity doesn’t begin and end with material selection. It’s about everything that happens before and after.
Who made the material? What resources went into it? Can it be separated, recovered, reused or will it end up as downcycled waste? These are the kinds of questions that turn good intentions into real impact.
Dare to Ask These Questions
Designers are no longer just creators. They’re specifiers, decision-makers, and gatekeepers of environmental value. That means the responsibility doesn’t stop at choosing a product that looks sustainable. It includes understanding how it was made, what happens when it's no longer needed, and whether the supply chain behind it is willing to share that information.
That’s where tools like Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) come in. An EPD is a third-party verified document that shows the environmental impact of a product across its full life cycle, from raw materials to disposal. It doesn’t just say a product is sustainable. It shows you how, and where, and to what extent.
Circular design is only circular if every part of the cycle is accounted for. And that starts with transparency.
Our Goal: Real Transparency
At modulyss, we know circularity only works when it's built on honesty. That’s why transparency is one of our main priorities for the coming years. We're taking steps to make our processes clearer, our claims more accountable and our data easier to access. Because if we ask architects and designers to think critically, we have to do the same and back it up with facts.
What comes next?
Circularity is an ongoing process of learning, questioning and evolving. As we work toward more transparency at modulyss, we invite the architecture and design community to do the same. Let’s raise the bar together. Because full-cycle design deserves full accountability.
Want to see what that looks like in practice? Watch Designing Out Waste: Closing the Carbon Gap in Commercial Interiors, a modulyss Talk with Ella Smith from AHMM. Drawing from her Fit Out // Rip Out research, she exposes the hidden carbon cost of Cat A fit outs and reveals how early design choices can prevent waste before it happens. Real data, real case studies, and a roadmap for rethinking interior design from the inside out.
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