This article is sponsored by UL.

Circularity is a life-cycle approach to sustainability in product design that is gaining momentum worldwide. Circular business models maximize the use of limited natural resources, reduce reliance on the take/make/waste economy and, in many cases, reap cost savings for businesses.

However, in the race to achieve the critically important attribute of circularity, companies run the risk of sidelining other important criteria such as safety and performance.

As we enter new territory for circularity with the expansion of second-life products and materials, its important to keep a watchful eye on safety. For example, does recycled plastic maintain integrity and performance in an end product? Do refurbished electronics meet fire and shock risk requirements the same as new electronics? Do reconditioned medical devices or molded-case circuit breakers offer the same performance as new?

Harmonization of circularity, safety and performance standards is critical to achieving a more sustainable and safe economy. Evaluating circular products for all of these criteria helps ensure long-term viability of new circular approaches, protects consumers and other end users, and reduces risk associated with achieving circularity. Whats more, validations of the performance, quality and circularity attributes of products and materials can provide the evidence needed to confront myths and misunderstandings about these products and encourage widespread adoption of remanufactured or other second life or "like new" products.

While single-attribute sustainability claims such as recycled content are helpful in creating the ecosystem in which recycling markets can operate more effectively, circularity is broader and aims to optimize resources by circulating products and/or components in a way that ensures materials are used at their highest value for the longest time possible.

Several business models support circularity, but of particular focus in this article are product life extensions, by which companies extend the life of products through remanufacturing, upgrade, technical assessment or remarketing. This method is highly effective for maximizing the value and life of products and reduces the need for virgin materials as well as carbon emissions associated with production and distribution of new products.

For example, according to a study titled "The Remanufacturing Industry" by Robert T. Lund, funded by the Argonne National Laboratory, remanufactured products conservethe equivalent to 400 trillion British Thermal Units (BTUs) of energy annually, which translates into the energy used to power 6 million passenger cars each year. It also represents a significant revenue stream for many companies, with some estimates that $60 billion of remanufactured goods are sold each year in the U.S. alone.

However, some risks are inherent with this type of product life extension.

But its also important to consider the lived life of that product. The Guide Information for Electrical Equipment for Use in Ordinary Locations (Category AALZ), found on productiq.ul.com, summarizes UL's position that "when a product bearing a UL Mark is modified or rebuilt (including being refurbished, remanufactured, reconditioned or renovated) after it leaves the factory where the UL Mark was applied, UL does not know if the product continues to meet the applicable requirements unless the modification or rebuilding has been specifically investigated by UL." (Registration for Product iQ is free; register today at Productiq.ul.com.)The key question is: does this product perform as well and operate as safely as a new product?

While circularity is becoming embedded into business practices of sustainability-minded companies, there is often a lack of awareness of the possible safety risks described above. Depending on the type of product, regulations may call for testing and assessment. However, for items such as electrical equipment, automobiles, building products and furniture, there is often little awareness among manufacturers and end users of potential risks.

For companies in any industry, here are some steps toward achieving both circularity and safety.

In an effort to promote confidence in the safety of refurbished products and to increase transparency, UL has established programs for the safe and sustainable rebuilding of many categories of products. We are committed to supporting circularity on a secure foundation of safety.

As an example, consider the growing number of wind turbine farms installed over the last two decades.

These wind turbines have an average lifespan of 20 years. As the equipment nears end of life, many parties become interested in assessing continued safe and reliable operation.

UL developed a standard to determine if it would be possible to safely extend the life of turbines. UL 4134, the Standard for Safety for Lifetime Extension of Wind Turbines, employs a science-based approach to test and validate the safety and performance of equipment to extend the life of these large, costly assets. The requirements take into account the external conditions of use for the specific turbine, operational characteristics and turbine information. This data is used to calculate the remaining useful life and set the stage for physical inspections and risk analysis, allowing the turbines to continue to operate rather than being decommissioned and replaced with new turbines. This allows for extension of life through reasonable repair.

As we continue to shift from a take/make/waste to circular business models, we will need to make a number of shifts across business, government, investors and society at large. Among the lessons learned during the pandemic, we know that human health and safety remain a priority and should be top of mind as we investigate new methods for bringing circular products to market. Second life products have the potential to dramatically reduce use of precious natural resources and divert waste from the landfill; ensuring their safety and like new performance is one of the new safety imperatives of our time, and in turn will help encourage adoption.

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Circularity or safety in second life products? Here's how to achieve both - GreenBiz