Manufacturing in a Circular Economy: Research Needs in Design, Systems Modeling, and Digital Thread

ABSTRACT Momentum is building to transition from a linear (take-make-use-discard) economy into a more circular one in which materials are kept in the economy through value-retention and -recovery processes. This momentum is taking the form of shifts in consumer demand, policies, and business models. As the producer of products and materials, the manufacturing sector is integral to this transition. Voluntary, consensus-based standards are also key to this shift, as they establish foundational terminology; technical guidance in the form of best practices for production; consistent, measurable, and comparable responses to changing consumer demand and regulatory environments; and transparency for consumers and society on product quality and embedded impacts. Despite ongoing momentum, a 2022 survey and workshop led by ASTM Committee E60 on Sustainability found that there was no cohesive, systematic plan for creating the circular economy standards necessary for the manufacturing sector to remain competitive. Results from the survey and workshop were used to develop a roadmap for manufacturing standards across the product life cycle (i.e., from design through production, use, and end of use). Some of these standards are in development now at organizations like ASTM International and the International Organization for Standardization using a consensus-based process; however, many others require new research and development to reach their full potential. This paper identifies three areas, where additional pre-standardization research is needed—design for circularity, system-level modeling and tools, and digital threads—and presents open research questions for future work in each area. Although the research areas are distinct, they collectively require advances in measurement science to enable a systems approach to the circular economy transition; these advances include the development of comparable metrics, standard test methods, and interoperability standards. Advancing research in these areas will also help manufacturers assess progress toward circularity goals. This paper aims to inspire researchers to answer these research questions and help create voluntary, consensus-based standards to support circular manufacturing.