The Circular Economy: Sustainable Manufacturing and Waste Management

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Contents
THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY...........................................................................................5
INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................5
ELECTRIC MOBILITY SCOOTER AND COMPANY.....................................................5
Production....................................................................................................................................6
Components.................................................................................................................................6
Functional Groups.......................................................................................................................6
SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING...............................................................................7
Closed Loop Sustainable Manufacturing.....................................................................................8
6R Application – Natural Sequence..........................................................................................11
Sustainable Product Life Cycle.................................................................................................11
TECHNOLOGICAL ELEMENTS OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY...................................12
Technological Elements – Identifying and Developing............................................................12
Extending to Multiple Life cycles or Generations.....................................................................13
Circular Economy Development with Technological Elements...............................................14
Triple Bottom Line....................................................................................................................16
Assessment Application.............................................................................................................17
Exploration of Economy............................................................................................17
WASTE MANAGEMENT INVESTIGATION.................................................................18
Lithium Battery..........................................................................................................................19
Permanent Magnet.....................................................................................................................19
Existing Cases....................................................................................................................20

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FUTURE SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM, IN LIFECYCLE STAGES WITH
CIRCULAR PRODUCTS.............................................................................................................20
Short Term.................................................................................................................................20
Long Term.................................................................................................................................20
CONCLUSION..................................................................................................................21
REFERENCES..................................................................................................................22

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INTRODUCTION
The Circular Economy concept has been gaining significant momentum, because the
existing linear economy traditional model, which works on the basis of model of ‘TAKE –
MAKE – DISPOSE’ keeps falling to meet the environmental protection, sustained economic
growth and societal wellbeing, all towards increasing sustainability challenges, worldwide. The
circular economy opportunities and socio-political dimensions are pursuing and promoted
towards growth and prosperity of national economy. However, technical aspects and challenges
from the circular economy are not well focused, because of political agenda shadow pushing to a
greater level with no considerations of technological aspects.
Sustainable value is a new and growing concern in multiple means and forms in the
context of manufacturing and strategic significance towards manufacturing process analysis
stands as an engine for any nation’s wealth generation. Both the developed and developing
countries have been showing the manufacturing’s pivotal role, in national economic
advancement, societal well-being and job creation.
Circular economy, historically, is relied heavily upon 3R principles, Reduce, Reuse and
Recycle. Hence, optimum production is aimed with reduced utilization of the natural resources,
emissions, producing minimum pollution and waste with the 3R principle. So, for green
manufacturing 3R stands as a foundation (Wu et al, 2014) and this concept is derived from lean
manufacturing with the basis of 1R or Reduce. So, manufacturing requires lean manufacturing to
green manufacturing to sustainable manufacturing, to achieve sustainable value (Jawahir &,
Dillon2007). However, unfortunately, this is far beyond the simple projections of socio-political,
for any geopolitical region or country’s strategic objective.
To achieve a fullest and complete form of circular economy, it is important to gain in-
depth understanding of the technological framework and integral elements.

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ELECTRIC MOBILITY SCOOTER AND COMPANY
Electric mobility scooter is configured as a motorscooter. It is also known an electric
scooter or power operated scooter or vehicle. The electric scooter, here is designed and
manufactured for disabled people. Having a potential and service oriented product development
vision and mission is expected to extend, by expanding the operation with the vision of
sustainable manufacturing (Gradel, 2011).
The electric mobility scooter consists of one seat, over maximum five wheels, foot plates
or flat area for the feet, delta-style steering or handlebars arrangement to turn the wheels that are
steerable.
Production
The production of the electric mobility scooter is mostly an assembling process. Hence,
most of the components and parts are received by the suppliers, rather than manufacturing the
components. While this is the present process of production, the future process is expected to
have own components to get them assembled (Su et al, 2013).
Components
The production and assembling process of electric mobility scooter for the disabled need
the following components,
1. Structural Components – Chassis, wheels, suspension, seat assembly, etc.
2. Electrical Components – Switches, wires, batteries, circuit boards, etc.
3. Miscellaneous Components – Bodywork, upholstery, tyres, transmission, etc.
There are various models and varied technologies, for energy recovery, brake, average
distance range, for them, globally. Eventually, the specifications also vary. And it is possible to
assert, without losing generality, to assert that the primary variation stays in the technologies of
battery. One important battery is lead battery that has less performance and lower price.
(MacArthur, 2015)
Functional Groups
There are four groups for the electric scooter.
1. Motion systems
2. Electronic & electrical system
3. Powertrain

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4. Structure System
Figure: General Scooter Sketch (Jawahir et al, 2013)
SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING
Sustainable manufacturing is a complex system problem, essentially, because it involves
considerations of three integral interacting levels, products, processes and systems (Jayal et al,
2010). There are several insufficient attempts that include integral approach partially and almost
fall short, since they deal largely with processes and products, however fail to emphasize the
three integral elements interconnectivity involved in the system of manufacturing and show the
sustainable value creation basis, for economic growth.
Sustainable manufacturing offers a new production way to make functionally superior
product with the advanced manufacturing methods, sustainable technologies, however, only if
the production, design of supply chain and design of product and enterprise and management
level logistics are well understood, managed and developed in an integrated and holistic ways.