Purchase use return

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. 

Your journey starts with the basics of divestment: the divestment model, its key steps, and the factors that influence user behaviour at end‑of‑use. You are then introduced to a set of design guidelines that show how to design for divestment in practice. 

Along the way, inspirational examples from design practice and related fields broaden your perspective. The guide then walks you through the design process: discover, define, develop, and deliver, with practical methods you can apply directly in your own projects. 

Together, these elements provide the insight and tools needed to design effective and user‑centred return experiences. 

Ready to get started? Download the guide below.

PURCHASE USE RETURN 

This practical guide supports the design of user‑centred take‑back systems for electronic devices. It combines key research insights with actionable steps to improve the effectiveness of e‑waste collection. 

DOWNLOADABLE TEMPLATES 

Several tools described in the guide are accompanied by downloadable templates. These templates can be used during your own design process to apply Design for Divestment in practice. 

DIVESTMENT SERVICE BLUEPRINT 

Use this template to design and align the front‑stage user experience with the back‑end processes required to support effective take‑back systems.