Approach for Enabling Second-Life Applications of Industrial Products

This study presents a five-phase planning approach to systematically identify second-life applications of industrial products in a circular economy (CE). Applying design science research, the study introduces this approach as an artefact designed to address challenges faced by manufacturing companies when attempting to harness second-life applications of their products. The artefact is informed by a literature review and insights from ten semi-structured interviews with industry experts. The interviews provide the foundation to identify the needs and requirements of industrial stakeholders, while also supporting the evaluation and refinement of the approach. Overall, this study advances the scientific and practical discourse on CE by introducing a practice-oriented artefact, a five-phase planning approach, that guides the exploitation of second-life applications and informs decision-making in early product design phases through a structured checklist.