Purchase use return

Designing better e‑waste collection starts with understanding end users. 

For a circular economy to work, products must be returned at end‑of‑use. Yet collection systems still focus mainly on logistics and technical compliance, while user behaviour is often overlooked. 

This guide introduces Design for Divestment, a user‑centred approach to the final phase of the product lifecycle. Based on research from the INCREACE project, it offers practical design insights for OEMs, brand owners, PROs and policymakers to improve e‑waste collection in practice. 

This practical design guide helps designers and decision‑makers understand the after use phase and apply user-centered design strategies to take-back systems. How people think, feel, and act when parting with their electronics plays a decisive role. This guide shows how insights into user behaviour can be translated into collection solutions that better align with users’ needs and motivations, supporting the wider goal of keeping products and materials in circulation.