THE MAKER MOVEMENT AND

CIRCULARITY: An open discussion on

issues, warnings and opportunities

#OSCEdays

Helsinki, Suvilahti, 13 June 2015

Cindy Kohtala Aalto University

https://blogs.aalto.fi/makerculture/

the inverse of digital fabrication is digital recycling … the construction of digital materials can contain the information needed for their deconstruction. Bad guys are already impressively effective at acquiring the best available technology for the destruction of their enemies; fab labs are likely to have a far greater impact on the stability of the planet by helping everyone else acquire the technology they need for their survival.

SOURCE: Gershenfeld, N., 2005. FAB: The Coming Revolution on Your Desktop – From Personal Computers to Personal Fabrication. Basic Books, New York.

Fab labs have altered the landscape of innovation by providing the general public with an opportunity to appropriate the digital fabrication process: to make things “personally”. … They enable rapid prototyping but are not suited to production on a larger scale (a limited number of identical pieces can be made if the hardware is not overused), nor are they suited to distribution, repair, or recycling.

SOURCE: Eychenne, F. (2012). Fab Labs Overview. The Fing (Fondation internet nouvelle génération). Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/slidesharefing/fab-labs-overview

SOURCE: Kohtala, C., Hyysalo, S., 2015. Anticipated environmental sustainability of personal fabrication. Journal of Cleaner Production 99, 333–344. Open access from http://authors.elsevier.com/a/1R0Rk3QCo9EPdT until 1 July 2015.

So what

ARE the environmental

issues?

The diagram summarizes international research as described in Kohtala, C., 2014. Addressing sustainability in research on distributed production: an integrated literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.09.039

Researchers are currently concentrating on these issues

mainly (in gray)

The diagram summarizes international research as described in Kohtala, C., 2014. Addressing sustainability in research on distributed production: an integrated literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.09.039

We need to better understand what happens

here, but how do you study it??

mass fabrication: unique products,

design and fabrication

in hands of users in

interaction with

each other

mass customization: batch/modular

personalized products,

design and fabrication

in hands of producer

bespoke fabrication: tailored, individualized

products, design and

fabrication in hands of

producer

[12-TFSC]

[7-IJPE]

[21-JCP]

[8-JSD]

[28-IJPE]

[22-JSD]

[15-DS]

[MCPC CONFERENCE PAPERS]

[11-IJPE]

personal fabrication: unique products,

design and fabrication

in hands of user,

shared designs

market influence

non-market influence

WHAT IS DISTRIBUTED

PRODUCTION?

control over user/consumer input

scale

large

small

digital

manufacturing

peer-to-peer

production

SOURCE: Kohtala, C., 2014. Addressing sustainability in research on distributed production: an integrated literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.09.039

‘Distributed production’ is an alternative to mass production: customized, personalized, ‘local’. It includes grassroots making and fabbing (‘peer production’) as well as mass customization.

mass fabrication:

transformed supply chains, elimination of embodied energy of

redundant intermediaries

mass customization:

less pre-consumer waste, greater potential for re-manufacturing,

“eco-guiding” configurators for consumers

bespoke fabrication:

localized production and lower transport

emissions, less product replacement

personal fabrication:

localized production, higher environmental impact per unit but

overall lower volumes (than MP and MC)

ENVIRONMENTAL

BENEFITS

exploit user/consumer input

exploit

scale

exploit modularization

exploit small and local

ensure quality for attachment, satisfaction

exploit learning opportunities

SOURCE: Kohtala, C., 2014. Addressing sustainability in research on distributed production: an integrated literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.09.039

According to existing research claims, these are the environmental benefits.

mass fabrication:

transformed supply chains, elimination of embodied energy of

redundant intermediaries

mass customization:

less pre-consumer waste, greater potential for re-manufacturing,

“eco-guiding” configurators for consumers

bespoke fabrication:

localized production and lower transport

emissions, less product replacement

personal fabrication:

localized production, higher environmental impact per unit but

overall lower volumes (than MP and MC)

ENVIRONMENTAL

BENEFITS

exploit user/consumer input

exploit

scale

exploit modularization

exploit small and local

ensure quality for attachment, satisfaction

exploit learning opportunities

SOURCE: Kohtala, C., 2014. Addressing sustainability in research on distributed production: an integrated literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.09.039

opportunities for a circular economy

mass fabrication:

distanced from consumer recycling systems and safety

standards, increased transport of

components and materials

mass customization:

customized products add to mass production material flow rather than

replace

bespoke fabrication:

high quality leads to resource and energy intensive production,

difficulty to reuse bespoke products

personal fabrication:

greater personal exposure to toxic

materials/emissions, unregulated emissions

to environment

ENVIRONMENTAL

CONCERNS

regulations and standards

scale

global

local

quality drivers less regulation

SOURCE: Kohtala, C., 2014. Addressing sustainability in research on distributed production: an integrated literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.09.039

What those previous researchers didn’t mention

mass fabrication:

distanced from consumer recycling systems and safety

standards, increased transport of

components and materials

mass customization:

customized products add to mass production material flow rather than

replace

bespoke fabrication:

high quality leads to resource and energy intensive production,

difficulty to reuse bespoke products

personal fabrication:

greater personal exposure to toxic

materials/emissions, unregulated emissions

to environment

ENVIRONMENTAL

CONCERNS

regulations and standards

scale

global

local

quality drivers less regulation

SOURCE: Kohtala, C., 2014. Addressing sustainability in research on distributed production: an integrated literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.09.039

So are we REALLY seeing localizing production and changing supply chains? How can the Maker Movement help us understand and explore the shift to circularity?

In Fab Labs today, BARRIERS >invisibility of issues >lack of eco-champions >time poverty OPPORTUNITIES >visions of societal responsibility >material understanding and time engagement >openness and willingness to share >stepping stone to new paradigm…

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

OPPORTUNITIES THREATS

THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND THE MAKER

MOVEMENT

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

OPPORTUNITIES THREATS

THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND THE MAKER

MOVEMENT

discuss!