Journal of Environmental Management 351 (2024) 119819

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Journal of Environmental Management

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Research article

Towards a circular economy: Development of a support tool for designing

reverse logistics systems
Pravin Kumar Mallick a, *, Kim Bang Salling b, Daniela C.A. Pigosso a, Tim C. McAloone a
a
Section of Design for Sustainability, Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building, 404 (Room 229), 2800, Kgs. Lyngby,
Denmark
b
Environmental and Social Sustainability, Novo Nordisk A/S, Novo Allé, 2880, Bagsvaerd, Denmark

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Handling Editor: Jason Michael Evans Reverse Logistics (RL) of end-of-use/end-of-life products is a key approach for supporting the transition to a
circular economy. However, lack of knowledge and experience in designing RL is one of the barriers for com­
Keywords: panies in implementing successful RL. This research proposes an RL support tool (RLST) for designing RL sys­
Reverse logistics tems, developed through iterative cycles of theoretical development and empirical testing/feedback from
Circular economy
potential users. The RLST builds upon the principles of configuration systems to adapt the various aspects of RL
Take-back
design into a knowledge base and, subsequently, into an Excel-based support tool - in addition to allowing
Resource recovery
Configuration companies to assess their motivation/driver and set the context (e.g., product characteristics, the existence and
nature of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation), it supports the design of the RL network/channel
and other aspects such as stakeholder collaboration, legislation, consumer behaviour and incentives, use of
digital technologies, key performance indicators and factors around governance/programme management. Such
a tool can be helpful for practitioners in addressing the knowledge gaps, stimulating discussions among stake­
holders for scenario building and for analysing how different scenarios might work. The research advances the
knowledge on RL systems design for the circular economy along with, for the first time, building knowledge and
application of configuration systems in the field of RL.

the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which shifts the physical

and/or financial responsibility for managing the EoL products to the
1. Introduction
producers (Esenduran and Kemahlioʇ;lu-Ziya, 2015; Gupt and Sahay,
2015; Weick and Ray, 2022). Being a policy approach, EPR has been
Reverse Logistics (RL) of end-of-use (EoU) and/or end-of-life (EoL)
implemented in diverse ways which has led to a different set of re­
products has become vital to circular economy (CE) practices. As data
quirements for producers (Gupt and Sahay, 2015). It continues to evolve
shows, the global economy was only 7.2% circular in 2023, down from
not just in terms of additional products being brought into its scope but
9.1% in 2018 – material extraction is on the rise, doubling since 2000,
also the nature of obligations e.g. increased collection and/or recycling
reaching 100 billion tonnes in 2023 (Circularity Gap Report, 2023).
targets and modulation of EPR fee to promote Design for Environment
Human consumption pressures have put the Earth system on a trajectory
(DfE) (Bukhari et al., 2018; Joltreau, 2018; Micheaux and Aggeri, 2021;
rapidly moving away from the planet’s safe limits (Gupta et al., 2023).
Vernier, 2021).
RL can be defined as “the effective and efficient management of the
Taking cognisance of these developments, companies today realise
series of activities required to retrieve a product from a customer in
the importance of RL. However, they often face challenges in designing
order to either dispose it or recover value” (Erol et al., 2010). The ac­
and implementing it, for many reasons, not least due to a lack of
tivities associated with transferring used products from the customers’
knowledge and experience (Vaz et al., 2013; Waqas et al., 2018). As
possession to the recovery site are also sometimes termed as “take-back”
evidenced in the literature, designing an RL system can involve many
or “reverse supply chain” (Bockholt et al., 2020; Ghoreishi et al., 2011;
different aspects – this includes the various ways the RL channel can be
Paut Kusturica et al., 2020; Yuan et al., 2016). One of the key drivers for
designed and governed, but also how other factors influence the RL
companies to adopt RL is regulations, as governments worldwide are
design process - such as product characteristics, drivers or motivations of
increasingly adopting CE-related policies. An essential element of this is

* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: pkuma@[Link] (P.K. Mallick), kslg@[Link] (K.B. Salling), danpi@[Link] (D.C.A. Pigosso), tmca@[Link] (T.C. McAloone).

[Link]
Received 29 September 2023; Received in revised form 24 November 2023; Accepted 9 December 2023
Available online 16 December 2023
0301-4797/© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license ([Link]
P.K. Mallick et al. Journal of Environmental Management 351 (2024) 119819

Configuration systems or configurators can be instrumental in efficiently

Acronyms reducing the time to market potentially large, complex, and custom­
isable products or solutions (Hotz et al., 2014b). A configurator for RL
ATO Assemble-to-Order should help users select features of RL to develop their own RL plan and,
CE Circular Economy through this process, evaluate different approaches, as well as oppor­
CLSC Closed-Loop Supply Chain tunities and challenges for designing and implementing RL.
DSS Decision Support System The following section (Section 2) covers the theoretical foundations
EoL End of Life for reverse logistics and configuration systems. Subsequently, section 3
EoU End of Use (methodology) describes the scientific approach used to develop the
EPR Extended Producer Responsibility tool, both from theoretical and empirical perspectives. Section 4 (re­
ETO Engineer-To-Order sults) presents the final version of the support tool and the key steps
KPIs Key Performance Indicators taken for its application. It also highlights the feedback from the case
RL Reverse Logistics applications conducted as a part of the development process. The key
RLST Reverse Logistics Support Tool findings are further discussed in Section 5 (discussion). Finally, section 6
SLR Systematic Literature Review (conclusion) provides a summary and potential future research
VCA Value Chain Analysis opportunities.

2. Literature review

companies behind initiating RL, the influence of legislation, consumer The development of the configuration-based RL support tool (RLST)
behaviour, availability of infrastructure etc (Mallick et al., 2023). builds on knowledge from two disciplines – reverse logistics and
These challenges spell the motivation for this research to develop a configuration systems. One of the main tasks in the development process
support tool that can provide a step-by-step approach to guide com­ is knowledge acquisition, which involves transforming product domain
panies through designing, configuring or customising the RL system to knowledge (RL, in this case) into a formal representation of a configu­
their specific needs and preferences. ration knowledge base or configuration model (Felfernig et al., 2014). In
The proposed support tool and step-by-step-approach builds upon the following sub-sections, first, the conceptual framework for planning
the principles of configuration systems. Sabin and Weigel (1998) define RL is provided, and subsequently, literature on configuration systems is
configuration as “a special case of design activity where the artifact covered.
being configured is assembled from instances of a fixed set of well-
defined component types in such a way that the components interact
with each other in pre-defined ways” (Sabin and Weigel, 1998).

Fig. 1. Conceptual framework for RL planning (Mallick et al., 2023).

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P.K. Mallick et al. Journal of Environmental Management 351 (2024) 119819

2.1. The conceptual framework for RL planning examples noted in the literature is the rule-based R1/XCON system for
DEC-Computer in the late 1970s (Hotz et al., 2014a).
A structured and systematic planning for establishing RL for EoU/ Product configurators have been conceptualised in various ways.
EoL products requires various considerations and steps (Mallick et al., Blecker et al. (2004) condensed the different approaches used for clas­
2022, 2023). The conceptual framework for RL planning (Fig. 1) builds sifying product configurators into a morphological box-some of these
upon and further elaborates the framework for RL proposed by de Brito classifications are based on (a) configuration knowledge, i.e., mainly
and Dekker (2004), who analysed the topic from three main viewpoints: rule-based, model-based or case-based approaches); (b) business strat­
(1) why (the drivers for initiating RL); (2) how (including ‘who,’ i.e. the egy, i.e., assemble-to-order (ATO), fabricate-to-order and
actors and ‘why,’ i.e. their reasons for participating and the processes in engineer-to-order (ETO); and (c) type of configurators, i.e., design
RL); and (3) what (the product and its characteristics) (de Brito and complexity-primitive configurators, interactive configurators and auto­
Dekker, 2004; Mallick et al., 2023). matic configurators (Blecker et al., 2004).
Several factors influence RL design and should therefore be consid­ While the rule-based configurators work by executing logic rules (in
ered before initiating RL design. The product and its characteristics, “if condition then consequence” form) and in this process, there is no
including material composition, usage patterns, residual value or func­ distinction between directed relationships and actions, model-based
tionality, and product dimensions, should be considered as they can configurators utilise a knowledge base to capture the relationships, de­
influence both the collection and the resource recovery or treatment pendencies, and constraints of the product (Blecker et al., 2004).
strategies (Cline et al., 2015; Ortegon et al., 2013; Van Der Wiel et al., ATO products are customisable products that consist of pre-defined
2012). The motivations and drivers for initiating RL should be assessed components and are configured according to the specific requirements
since they can vary, such as legislation, economic factors, customer of customers, considering the relationships between attributes of
expectations, environmental concerns, and corporate image, but also different components, such as compatibility, while the ETO products
understanding the reasons for initiating RL can serve as a compass for have similar characteristics to ATO products but require some level of
decision-making (Abdullah and Yaakub, 2014; Hong and Huang, 2021; engineering analysis in the configuration process (Bordeaux and Ham­
Santos et al., 2013; Temur and Bolat, 2017; Van Der Wiel et al., 2012; adi, 2007).
Vaz et al., 2013). Also, the current value chain of the product(s) Primitive configurators merely record the configuration decisions
considered and the legislative landscape should be assessed, including made by the user without checking the validity of decisions, whereas
existing and potential regulations that can influence RL design (de Oli­ interactive configurators can check whether the configuration decisions
veira et al., 2019; De Souza and D’Agosto, 2013; Keivanpour et al., are valid. In the case of automatic configurators, in addition to the
2015). functionalities of interactive configurators, they can provide full support
The planning for RL primarily involves designing the RL channel or and automatically generate parts or even entire configurations (Blecker
network and other aspects such as identifying stakeholders for part­ et al., 2004).
nerships, consumer engagement and choice of incentives, regulatory One of the key elements of the configuration system development is
framework conditions, and exploring the use of digital or smart tech­ the knowledge-base representation (i.e., the different ways the knowl­
nologies (Mallick et al., 2022, 2023). The RL network can involve edge can be stored and connected). There is a long history of research
various activities such as choosing appropriate collection archetype(s), related to the development of knowledge representation-a prominent
disassembly, transportation types, sorting, compacting, loading, representative being constraint satisfaction-based knowledge represen­
unloading, weighing, data entry, inspection, and resource recovery op­ tation (Hotz et al., 2014b). However, graphical representations have
tions (Alkahtani et al., 2021; Blomsma et al., 2019; Hvass, 2014; Tadaros also been developed to enhance the accessibility of configuration
et al., 2022; Vegter et al., 2020; Yahya et al., 2021). Companies may knowledge by improving understandability and maintainability, which
carry out the RL activities in-house or outsource them to third parties. can be particularly valuable for the participation of non-IT stakeholders.
Other stakeholders, such as the forward logistics players, non-profit An example of this is feature models, which structurally is a rooted tree
organisations, municipalities, retailers, Producer Responsibility Orga­ where the nodes are features – identified by unique names and used for
nisations (PROs), and Clearing houses, banks, can also be involved describing possible states, i.e. “included-in” or “excluded from” a spe­
(Kumar, 2019; Rebehy et al., 2019; Van Der Wiel et al., 2012). Consumer cific configuration, and the features can also have additional or
engagement can encompass various awareness initiatives and cross-tree constraints (Felfernig et al., 2020).
non-monetary and monetary incentives such as cash rewards, discounts Development of configurators is often done through standard soft­
on product purchases (in terms of a specific value or percentage), dis­ ware or systems developed by external organisations for potential use by
count coupons etc (Agarwal et al., 2012; Botelho et al., 2016; Ghoreishi a large group of customers. They can have a wide range of applications
et al., 2011; Jafari et al., 2017; Shokouhyar and Shahrasbi, 2021). since they are flexible systems built-up by incorporating considerable
Governance aspects of the RL also need to be planned; the gover­ implicit knowledge and according to best practices. They may not need
nance structure assumes greater relevance in the case of collective/in­ system developers since domain experts can do maintenance (Hvam
dustry solutions since it brings additional complexities – like how et al., 2008). Several studies have demonstrated how spreadsheets like
responsibilities would be shared, how the cost-sharing mechanism can Microsoft Excel can be leveraged for developing configuration systems
look like, how sensitive information (e.g. related to sales volumes or (Bordeaux and Hamadi, 2007; Chitnis et al., 2006; Le et al., 2021).
product composition) can be shared, and whether decision making rests Spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel are extensively used in companies,
on all or follows specific criteria (Schmitz et al., 2022). Finally, perfor­ and any support tool built on them can be more straightforward. Le et al.
mance management is crucial, and the motivations behind initiating RL (2021) developed a tool (called FM2EXCONF) that supports the con­
can guide the identification of key objectives for the overall RL pro­ version of a feature model into an Excel-based configurator, which is
gramme and individual processes or activities. Various Key Performance especially useful for non-IT stakeholders in configuration system
Indicators (KPIs) related to financial, environmental, social, operational, development (Le et al., 2021).
and management aspects can be used as inputs for RL planning (Alka­ Despite the various developments in configuration systems and their
htani et al., 2021; Prajapati et al., 2021; Vegter et al., 2020). use in multiple products and applications, no such use has yet been
explored for RL planning. This research attempts to address two gaps: (a)
2.2. Configuration systems how can a support tool be designed to help address the lack of knowl­
edge and experience in implementing RL, and (b) how can the principles
The concept and application of product configuration systems or of configuration systems be used to build the support tool? The following
product configurators have been in use for many decades-one of the first section describes the scientific approach to meet these two goals.

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P.K. Mallick et al. Journal of Environmental Management 351 (2024) 119819

3. Research method et al. (2021) and Schmitt et al. (2018), which support the conversion of
the feature model into an Excel-based configurator (Le et al., 2021;
The choice of the research method was driven by the overall goal of Schmitt et al., 2018). The overall steps involved in the prototype
the research to develop a support tool that: (a) from a content development are detailed in the subsequent sections.
perspective, includes the relevant RL dimensions and aspects that should
be considered to develop a robust RL programme; (b) is product/geog­ 3.1.1. Development of the knowledge base (feature model)
raphy agnostic, to begin with, but is adaptable to additional knowledge The term “knowledge base” emphasises the central role of knowledge
or customisable to product/geography/company requirements; and in a configuration system. In this case, it consists of all the activities and
finally (c) has its development based on a transparent, verified and considerations related to RL design in the form of pre-defined compo­
validated process. Therefore, the overall research followed the nents that can be selected while respecting a set of well-defined con­
hypothetico-deductive approach, a methodology used to formulate hy­ straints restricting infeasible RL design. Feature models provide a
potheses based on prior knowledge, followed by conducting empirical valuable means for graphical representation of knowledge bases that
testing for evaluations and drawing conclusions (Gill and Johnson, improves the understandability and the efficiency of the underlying
2002). This approach emphasises systematic testing, objectivity, and the development process (Le et al., 2021).
use of evidence to refine understanding and contribute to scientific The idea of a feature model rests on representing all allowed variants
knowledge. The hypothesis for testing in this research was that planning of a configurable product in one integrated graphical model. It consists
and implementing reverse logistics in companies can be supported by a of two parts: (1) the structural part that defines a hierarchical rela­
so-called RL support tool developed based on the principles of config­ tionship between the features of the feature model; and (2) the
uration systems. constraint part that integrates additional constraints or cross-
Table 1 summarises the overall research approach for the develop­ hierarchical restrictions (Hotz et al., 2014b).
ment and testing of the RLST. It comprises of three phases, i.e.: (a) Fig. 2 illustrates a snapshot of the feature model developed for the
theoretical development; (b) empirical development; and (c) testing and RLST. A feature has a unique name and is used to describe its possible
further development of the primary support tool and additional support states (i.e., included in or excluded from a specific configuration). A
tools. feature can either be a physical component or a property which the
The focus in the first phase was on the development and initial object of analysis (e.g., a product) does or does not have. Features may
testing of a functional prototype of the support tool, involving the cre­ have additional lower-level features (or sub-features). The root feature
ation of a knowledge base that builds upon the conceptual framework (i.e., RL in this case) is contained in every configuration.
for RL planning, a configuration engine (as a back-end of the tool), and a The structural part of a feature model is defined in terms of features
user interface or the front-end. The second phase (empirical develop­ and their relationships (mandatory, optional, alternative, or) (Fig. 3). In
ment) centred on testing the tool by conducting case studies on two addition, ‘requires’ and ‘excludes’ are two cross-hierarchical restrictions
companies, resulting in the third version of the support tool. In the or constraint types used for the specification of feature models (Fig. 3).
project’s third phase, case studies with two additional companies using A mandatory relationship between two features describes that if
the revised tool were conducted, this time with additional supporting the higher-level feature is part of a configuration, the lower-level feature
tools (i.e., the Playbook). (or sub-feature) must also be part of the configuration (Hotz et al.,
2014b; Le et al., 2021). The lower-level feature can only be part of the
configuration if the higher-level feature is included. For example, if the
3.1. Phase 1: theoretical development
feature RL (Fig. 2) is part of the configuration, the feature ‘Product
Acquisition’ must also be part of the configuration. Since RL is the root
The goal in phase 1 was to develop the prototype of the RL support
feature, Product acquisition must be part of every configuration.
tool that builds upon the conceptual framework for RL planning (Mallick
In the case of an optional relationship between two features, if the
et al., 2023) and uses the principles of configuration systems (i.e., the
higher-level feature is part of the configuration, the lower-level feature
tool should allow users to explore various features, options, or config­
may or may not be part of the configuration. The lower-level feature can
urations (such as RL activities, drivers, KPIs, incentives) and select and
only be part of the configuration if the higher-level feature is part of the
configure their desired combination of features). Furthermore, the tool
configuration. An example of an optional feature is the ‘Consumer drop-
should ensure that the selected components are compatible with other
off’ model of product acquisition (Fig. 2).
features set in the configuration. Also, a user-friendly interface for
In the case of an alternative relationship, exactly one of the lower-
configuration should enable users to quickly tailor the RL system design
level features must be part of the configuration. The lower-level feature
to their needs.
can only be part of the configuration if the higher-level feature is
The development of the configuration model follows the work of Le
included. In Fig. 2, EPR legislation is a mandatory feature, with sub-
features (EPR exists or doesn’t exist) represented as an alternative
Table 1 relationship.
Research methodology.
In an ‘or’ relationship between an upper and lower-level feature, at
Phase Focus Steps Outputs least one of the lower-level features must be part of the configuration.
1 Theoretical a) Development of the 1st version of RL For example, ‘product acquisition’ can be collected in multiple ways, as
Development knowledge base (feature support tool shown in Fig. 2.
model) In addition to the above, a feature model can have constraints rep­
b) Conversion of feature
resenting the restrictions that have to hold between the cross-
model into an Excel based
configurator hierarchical or cross-tree features. These are either a ‘Requires’
c) User interface (front-end) constraint (if feature f1 is included in the configuration, feature f2 must
d) Evaluation by Researchers 2nd version of also be included) or an ‘Excludes’ constraint (f1 and f2 must not be part
& Students RL support tool of the same configuration). For example, as shown in Fig. 4, if EPR
2 Empirical a) Case study: case company 1 3rd version of RL
Development b) Case study: case company 2 support tool
legislation exists and the EPR Scheme mandates a collective producer
3 Testing and further a) Development of additional Playbook responsibility (CPR), the user must include a collective responsibility
developments guidance (named ‘Industry solution’) in the governance, depicted in a green line.
b) Case study: case company 3 3rd version and If the EPR responsibility is only financial, users should not have product
c) Case study: case company 4 Playbook tested
acquisition or resource recovery-related activities, shown as a red line.

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P.K. Mallick et al. Journal of Environmental Management 351 (2024) 119819

Fig. 2. Snapshot of the feature model for RL.

explanation generation, which checks the consistency of the feature

model (a feature model is consistent if it represents at least one product i.
e., a final configuration solution representing the list of selected fea­
tures); and (b) the feature model conversion that converts a feature
model into an Excel-based configurator; this functionality gets activated
Fig. 3. Relationships in a feature model.
if the feature model is consistent. Additionally, the software allows the
users to review the feature model through key metrics such as the
Before developing the feature model, all aspects related to RL design
number of features and mandatory-optional-or relationships and re­
(features and sub-features and their relationships) were mapped in a
quires and excludes constraints.
spreadsheet. For this purpose, previously proposed conceptual frame­
Fig. 5 shows a snapshot of the Excel configurator for RL. The con­
works for RL planning (Fig. 1) were used and adapted (Mallick et al.,
figurator consists of four columns; the list of features and sub-features
2022, 2023). Subsequently, the feature model was developed by a free
are represented in column A. The tool allows two ways of representa­
variant management tool named Glencoe (Schmitt et al., 2018) to create
tion: (a) breadth-first order, i.e., a level-by-level approach, starting with
the feature model. Glencoe is a web application that allows beginners
the root feature, then its sub-features and subsequently other features at
and experts to intuitively specify and visualise feature models and
the next level; or (b) depth-order first that starts with the root feature,
analyse them for consistency. The feature model output from Glencoe
then follows the path of corresponding sub-features as far as it can go (i.
can be exported in various formats, the JSON data format being the
e., from the root feature to its leaf features).
default.
The state of the features is represented in column B (again, the
software allows the choice of binary values (i.e., 1/0) or logical values,
3.1.2. Conversion of feature model into an excel-based configurator
(i.e., TRUE/FALSE). The state of features is to be filled during the
The next step in the development process was to convert the feature
configuration phase when users manually change the cells’ value to find
model into an executable representation in an Excel worksheet; this was
configurations. Column C shows the text-based rules representing the
done using a standard system or software called FM2EXCONF (Le et al.,
relationships/constraints between features. Finally, column D converts
2021). The software has two components: (a) anomaly detection and
relationships and constraints into logical test formulae. The returns of

Fig. 4. Snapshot of the feature model for RL showing cross-hierarchical constraints.

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P.K. Mallick et al. Journal of Environmental Management 351 (2024) 119819

Fig. 5. Snapshot of the Excel-based configurator.

these formulae are used as textual explanations that describe the con­ glossary of items and additional tools (e.g., product acquisition arche­
sistency of feature assignments or suggest corrective solutions when type selector) were incorporated for supporting decision-making (elab­
inconsistencies occur. The software also allows the inclusion of a (fifth) orated in Section 4.2).
column for integrating the cost component in the configuration-it was, The prototype was evaluated in two workshops by 10 Researchers &
however, not considered within the scope of this research, since RL costs over 80 Students associated with the field of Circular Economy. The
can vary significantly depending upon numerous factors, such as infra­ participants were organised in groups and were allowed to use the
structure availability, product characteristics, geographical scope and support tool for designing a RL system for a product of their choice. An
the scale of RL operations, consumer incentives etc. A future research online feedback form was then used to elicit responses on the usability
subject could be to map the financial attributes related to RL design as a and usefulness of the tool and gather ideas for improvements. Feedback
support tool for financial planning. received from the workshops was assimilated and incorporated for
further empirical developments.
3.1.3. Development of the user-interface
User interfaces for configuration systems enable an efficient and 3.2. Empirical developments
intuitive configuration process. Leitner et al. (2014) provide several
design principles for configurator user interfaces, for instance, whether To further assess the usability and usefulness of the tool, case studies
the user interface supports a needs-based interface for non-experts or a with two companies were organised in workshop settings. Case Com­
parameter-based one for more technical-oriented users, finalising pany 1 is a manufacturer of pumps for heating and air conditioning. It
starting points from where users can start the configuration activities, operates globally however at this workshop was keen to investigate how
and availability of support mechanisms for educating or enhancing RL can be designed for the smaller pumps sold in Western European
user’s product knowledge for better decision making (Leitner et al., markets that circulate hot water and are used in households. The
2014). workshop was organised physically, and the three participants repre­
The RL support tool was developed keeping users who are non- sented the company’s Circular Economy and sustainability functions.
experts in RL in mind. This process involved creating a more user- Case company 2 is a global leader in logistics and has a presence in
friendly layout – the configuration activities were organised into mod­ over 200 countries. The workshop was organised online as the three
ules, icons were used where appropriate, instructions were provided for participants joined from multiple geographies (US and Germany) rep­
each section for easy usage, and checkboxes were provided to gather resenting commercial operations and supply chain. The product
inputs on the configuration. Also, additional resources, such as a considered for RL planning was a consumer electronic product.

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P.K. Mallick et al. Journal of Environmental Management 351 (2024) 119819

In both cases, the workshops lasted between 2 and 3 h. An overview Table 2

of the RL support tool was first provided, followed by discussions cen­ Qualitative feedback from the case companies.
tred around the RL dimensions covered in the modules of the RL support Aspect Feedback
tool. For evaluating the RL support tool, an online feedback form was
Usefulness 1 Great, but the overall point is that the tool, in my opinion is best
developed to assess the RLST’s usefulness, usability, and completeness suited for use as a design tool over time where you can see what
following the approach proposed by (Blessing and Chakrabarti, 2009). elements you need to investigate. Then it is an amazing tool.
Questions were designed either on a five-point Likert scale (5 being the 2 Obviously, this requires some degree of expertise knowledge. But I
best) (Joshi et al., 2015) and open-ended for qualitative feedback and think it is important to emphasise that ample time should be
allocated for using the tool. And that it provides value simply by
comments. As can be seen from Fig. 6, the users found the tool very stimulating discussions.
useful for RL planning. Usability 3 In general, the tool could benefit from having explanations of the
The qualitative feedback and user comments (Table 2) provided different decision areas underneath each box.
helpful insights for further improvements to the support tool. In line 4 Maybe include some guidance on when one option is more
beneficial to use compared to another.
with the research goals, the support tool is seen as a design tool for RL
5 Better guidance for selection of right information would be great.
planning that stimulates discussions and helps consider the different
aspects of RL design holistically. The users highlighted a general need
for more guidance or knowledge from an RL perspective either in the insights and learnings for knowledge and decision-making. A practical
tool itself underneath the choices/options in the configuration tool or as and helpful way to discuss, design and represent the different di­
a separate resource. mensions of RL planning is the canvas. The RL canvas (Fig. 7) provides
These insights formed the basis for further developing the third an overview of the sub-modules an organisation should consider to
version of the RL support tool and the development of supporting tools design their RL system.
aimed at providing better guidance; these are described in the next
section. 4.1.1. Module 1: Context and motivation
The first module (‘Context and Motivation’) sets the stage for
4. Results decision-making in the subsequent modules which delve into RL system
design and governance aspects. It attempts to define the scope of the RL
The resulting ‘RL planning support tool’ (RLST) following the itera­ design (product and geography focus) and the organisation’s ambition
tive cycles of theoretical development and empirical testing/feedback behind initiating RL. By understanding their motivations, organisations
from potential users has two components: (1) at the core is the primary can grasp the underlying principles and drivers behind establishing RL,
RL support tool itself which is an Excel-based configurator; and (2) this can help make the right choices during RL system design and choose
additional resources and decision support tools to further assist users in the proper indicators/assessment criteria for their RL. This module also
decision making. aims to set the context in terms of whether the product is subjected to
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in the geography under
consideration (and if yes, the nature of EPR obligations), the product
4.1. The RL support tool
characteristics (such as dimension, functionality, level of contamina­
tions, demand in the main market), understanding of customer’s senti­
To provide a step-by-step approach to RL planning, the support tool
ment towards RL, the level of infrastructure available in the identified
is organised into four modules, starting with context and motivation
geography etc. Understanding these dimensions may require conducting
(module one), designing the RL system (module two), governance and
consumer research or cross-functional discussions among decision
programme management (module three), and finally, module four that
participants.
allows checking and downloading the configuration. The modules are
further structured into sections (or sub-modules), each containing
4.1.2. Module 2: RL design
different dimensions related to RL planning-allowing users to explore
Module 2 of the support tool focuses on the various building blocks of
various features, options, or configurations and select and configure
an RL system; at the core of it is the channel design (the overall
their desired combination of features. Brief instructions are provided for
collection system including choice of appropriate product acquisition
each section to assist the users. Also, additional resources and decision
archetypes, storage, transportation, cleaning, inspection etc. and
support tools are included (elaborated in section 4.2) that aim to provide

Fig. 6. Feedback from case companies 1 and 2 on the RL support tool.

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P.K. Mallick et al. Journal of Environmental Management 351 (2024) 119819

Fig. 7. The RL canvas.

resource recovery through processing, treatment or the appropriate company or with other companies (an industry solution). It begins with
recirculation strategies), as well as other elements such as stakeholder providing the different variants of the various governance structures –
partnerships and collaboration, consumer engagement and incentives, ranging from an individual company initiative to variants of collective
regulatory framework conditions, and digital/IoT applications (Fig. 8). ones (industry solution), i.e., network structures led in a shared gover­
The collection process begins with product acquisition. The tool lets nance model, or where a lead organisation governs, a core group of
the users choose between the different product acquisition archetypes- organisations take the lead, or the more commonly seen model where an
this includes the basic archetypes such as consumer drop-off, door administrative entity (commonly referred to as a Producer Re­
pick-up, mail-back, or informal waste picker-based collections or other sponsibility Organisation, PRO or System Operator) manages the RL
archetypes which can involve a combination of the basic ones. Some of activities on behalf of the producers.
the archetypes may need changes in the product price structure or In the case of an industry solution, different stakeholders can be
business model such as Deposit Refund systems or acquiring used involved in RL; hence, memberships are an essential aspect of RL
products under lease/rent (Product as a Service), e-commerce-based governance. The members can be the producers placing the product into
collections, etc. Users can also use the supporting tool – collection the market or organisations obliged under EPR, other companies in the
archetype selector, to compare and decide on the most appropriate ar­ supply chain before the consumption of the goods (such as raw material
chetypes (elaborated in section 4.2). Product acquisition is followed by suppliers, packaging and product converters, distributors, retailers etc.)
choice of other collection activities, such as storage, sorting (and its or partners in the supply chain after the consumption stage, (such as
various types), transportation (and the sub-types), cleaning, compacting those involved in waste management, collection, recycling etc.). There
etc. The choice of the resource recovery or recirculation strategy follows could also be affiliate members-such as universities, individual experts
next-which includes options to recirculate products and components etc.
(reuse, refurbish, remanufacture etc.), recirculating materials (me­ In an industry solution, members with different product types and
chanical recycling, chemical recycling options etc.) or recovery energy volumes can participate, and setting a fee criterion becomes essential.
followed by disposal. The Fee Criteria section addresses the variants of the fee structure
The ‘Stakeholder Partnerships and Collaboration’ section emphasises associated with an RL program-for instance, variable fee, fixed fee, eco-
the significance of partnership and collaboration. It lets users explore modulation in fee (Bonus/Malus system for recyclability) and bonuses, if
how the various activities identified previously will be implemented and any, for labelling.
whether there is a need to engage stakeholders, such as for collection, The ‘Management Responsibilities’ module defines and allocates
recycling, and with government agencies, industry associations, or management responsibilities within the support tool program. It out­
community organisations. The section aims to generate strategies for lines the tasks, duties, and accountabilities involved in an RL
establishing effective partnerships. programme.
The section ‘Consumer Engagement and Incentives’ focuses on op­ Finally, the Performance Management and Key Performance In­
tions for engaging consumers or customers. It offers different engage­ dicators (KPIs) module highlights the importance of performance man­
ment strategies e.g., raising awareness (through campaigns), getting the agement and establishes KPIs to evaluate the effectiveness and success of
right communication messages, incentives etc. an RL program. It outlines the various KPIs across RL’s financial, envi­
The Regulatory Framework Conditions section addresses the ronmental, social, operational and management aspects.
compliance requirements within which the RL system needs to operate-
RL can be subject to various regulations stipulated by government au­ 4.1.4. Module 4: check configuration and next steps
thorities at different levels – national/regional/municipalities or supra- The fourth module has three parts: (a) checking the consistency of
national (e.g., EU). This section allows users to explore the relevant the configuration; (b) downloading the final configuration and discus­
laws, regulations, and standards that must be considered. Since the sion notes, if any; and (c) Recommendations and next steps. The first
current version of the tool is product and geography agnostic, this sec­ part helps users check the consistency of the configuration-when
tion covers the types or categories of regulations that may be involved in incompatible features are chosen, which is determined based on cross-
RL rather than any product/geography-specific regulation. hierarchical constraints, corrective actions are suggested along with a
The section on Digital/IoT Applications explores the application of rationale. Subsequently, users can download the configuration and
digital and IoT (Internet of Things) technologies within RL. The aim is to discussion notes, if any. Finally, the module provides recommendations
highlight the potential benefits of leveraging digital platforms or IoT on the next steps based on the choices made in the configuration.
devices to enhance RL systems. The additional resources also show how
digital/IoT applications can improve RL practices like collection, 4.2. Playbook and other decision support tools
transportation, etc., and decision-making processes.
The following resources are additionally included to enhance the
4.1.3. Module 3: Programme Management and Governance knowledge and understanding of the RL aspects and support RL planning
Module 3 aims to help companies establish a robust governance and decision-making, when using the RLST. Firstly, a playbook is pro­
structure for the RL programme management. Governance applies vided, i.e., a separate document providing additional information, and
whether an organisation intends to work alone as an individual contextual insights into the various dimensions of RL within the support

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P.K. Mallick et al. Journal of Environmental Management 351 (2024) 119819

Fig. 8. Dimensions covered in the RL support tool.

tool. Keeping the same modular structure and the RL canvas in incorporates checkboxes, allowing users to pre-select desired archetypes
perspective, it aims to enhance the understanding of users and facilitate and the selection criteria. Users can rate the different archetypes based
decision-making. on the pre-selected criteria, generating scores. These scores are then
Secondly, a product acquisition archetype selector is included visually represented through a bar chart and spider diagram, aiding
(Fig. 9). It assists users in comparing and analysing different product decision-making.
acquisition archetypes to determine the most suitable ones. The tool The third resource is a decision support tool for defining an

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P.K. Mallick et al. Journal of Environmental Management 351 (2024) 119819

Fig. 9. Snapshot of product acquisition archetype selector.

appropriate strategy for processing or treating the collected products. context, the RL planning was done for one of its products for a city in the
Hildenbrand et al. (2020) provide guidelines and an assessment tool to Netherlands. The workshop was conducted with three people-the senior
support identifying the best circular strategy for products taken back at director of sustainability, the sustainability manager and a Postdoctoral
the EoU or EoL – a link to this assessment tool is provided as an addi­ Researcher tasked with driving the RL planning process for the com­
tional resource (Hildenbrand et al., 2020). pany, it lasted close to 3 h.
Additionally, a list of KPIs with explanations is provided. A glossary Initially, the case company was given an overview of the RL support
of terms used in the RL support tool is also included. It provides defi­ tool and the supplementary resources. Subsequently, brainstorming was
nitions and descriptions for the terms used to help better understand done covering the topics in the various modules in the RL support tool
these within the context of the RL planning process. and using the Playbook as a basis for discussions. In the context of
Module 1, since the company had been exploring the idea of RL, while
4.3. Application of the RL support tool some aspects related to product characteristics were fast to discuss,
other elements, such as those associated with the nature of anticipated
In the project’s third phase, the revised RL support tool and the EPR legislation, motivations behind initiating RL, consumer behaviour
additional resources were tested with two companies in workshop set­ involved more discussions. The case company identified the reason
tings. The following sub-sections cover the case study results and the behind initiating RL as driven by corporate sustainability goals. The RL
support tool’s evaluation. programme was primarily focused on being an individual company
initiative rather than an industry solution and considered a single
4.3.1. Case application 1 product category. The products are small in dimensions and non-
The first case application of RL support tool was used in workshop functional at the end of their life. The products are made from high-
settings with an European multinational company (named here as Case quality plastics but are contaminated with body fluids. As a result, no
company 3) that develops and manufactures a range of disposable demand for the used products exists. The case company believes that on
plastic and polymer products for the healthcare sector (used in both the consumer side, there is a high level of awareness regarding the
hospital and homecare settings). The company operates globally; its importance of proper disposal.
primary focus, however, is Europe, which accounts for majority of its The guided questions on value chain analysis (VCA) revealed that the
total sales. The case company has the ambition to reduce waste products are predominantly consumed in three places – in households,
continuously – and has taken numerous steps to manage production site hospitals, and sometimes out-of-home settings. The used products
waste. Now it intends to broaden its approach by focusing on higher- generated at the homes have the predominant volume and are typically
value activities such as reducing, reusing, and repurposing. In this disposed of with general waste. Subsequently, they go through the

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P.K. Mallick et al. Journal of Environmental Management 351 (2024) 119819

municipality’s waste management system or a third-party operated patients’ expectations. At this stage, an individual company initiative
transfer station. Households are responsible for paying for waste man­ focusing only on the company’s products is envisioned. Dimension wise,
agement services; however, they may see reduced costs if they sort their the products are small, and non-functional since they may have residual
waste. The VCA also revealed that the products are primarily sold medicines and be contaminated with blood and tissues. It was not
through pharmacies but also in hospitals, and additionally, the company entirely clear whether the product is classified as a hazardous waste. The
sells its products through an e-commerce-based platform. products primarily contain plastics, and the consumer awareness about
With the context established, the RL channel design was explored – appropriate disposal after use is perceived as low (i.e., there is little
out of the various product acquisition archetypes, consumer drop-off at evidence of pro-environmental behaviour among consumers). The
pharmacies and hospitals was deemed most appropriate; other options informal sector is absent, and the retail network is organised, with
like mail-back and e-commerce (tapping onto the online sales channel) municipal infrastructure in place to facilitate collection. The de­
were also considered for further analysis. The product acquisition liberations on the Value Chain Analysis showed that the consumers
archetype in the RL support tool did present an ambiguity on how a pick- typically dispose the products in the yellow bins (packaging that is not
up or drop-off-based archetype can be distinguished from e-commerce made of paper, cardboard, or glass e.g., pharmaceutical blister packs,
(given that e-commerce could also include a drop-off or pick-up or both). aerosol cans etc), from where it may be taken to the Material Recovery
Additionally, it was envisaged that the collection activities would Facilities (MRFs). Even though other packaging materials are usually
involve cleaning, storage, and logistics, including using light commer­ sorted, it’s not known how the products are disposed at the EoU/EoL.
cial vehicles and heavy trucks. However, the exact details, it was felt, This initial contextual analysis opened different options on how the RL
would depend on the organisations partnered for resource recovery. On could be designed, specifically at which point(s) of the value chain
resource recovery, the case company was already investigating oppor­ should the product acquisition be initiated.
tunities for recirculating materials through mechanical recycling With the context established, the focus of the workshop shifted to
(recycling into different products) and chemical recycling (thermal Module 2 i.e., the RL network design. Since consumers buy the products
pyrolysis). from the pharmacy, it was felt that the RL design could involve con­
The stakeholder identification for the RL programme followed the sumer drop-off at the pharmacy stores, with other collection activities
channel design. Collection-related stakeholders included consumers, including inspection, cleaning, storage, logistics that can be handled by
commercial collection providers, logistics companies, supply chain light commercial vehicles, eventually also needing heavy trucks, and rail
partners, and retailers (pharmacies). The company recognised that for shipments to the processing/treatment facility. The RL would also
external firms must be partnered with for resource recovery activities. need sorting, specifically, air separation, ballistic separation, magnetic
Other stakeholders, such as banks, were also identified-anticipating separation, and sensor technologies, keeping in mind the diverse ma­
financing for establishing resource recovery infrastructure. The case terial composition of the product. For processing or treatment, the
company has a dedicated team running numerous programmes for company chose to recirculate materials through mechanical recycling
consumer engagement, which was considered an ideal platform for into other products (open loop recycling). Collaboration with various
planning consumer engagement initiatives, including on-ground and stakeholders was envisaged, including consumers, collection organisa­
digital campaigns and non-monetary rewards as incentives for tions, logistics companies, supply chain partners, pharmacy stores as
consumers. well as external firms for recycling. Other stakeholders also needed to be
Finally, moving to module 3 of the RL support tool, i.e., governance, involved, including a communications agency. It was felt that the con­
the case company was considering an individual company initiative for sumer engagement can be achieved through a comprehensive awareness
RL, it still explored if it would provide opportunities to involve its supply initiative, comprising on-ground and on-air campaigns, as well as
chain (e.g., polymer/resin suppliers). It identified the various tasks through the digital media. The messages should focus on how the
involved in the RL programme, including contracts, record manage­ products are recyclable and on how the collection scheme is established.
ment, regulatory affairs, logistics and collection, partnerships, consumer Finally, the RL programme is expected to operate within a regulatory
research, communication, and managing resource recovery. framework that encompasses waste classification, EPR compliance, ap­
Module 4 (checking the configuration) revealed that using the e- provals, waste shipment, and hazardous waste handling.
commerce-based product acquisition would need the development of Moving to module 3 (Programme Management and Governance),
the virtual marketplace platform. Various recommendations were also since the RL is an individual company initiative, the governance struc­
provided regarding the next steps related to financial analysis, setting ture of the programme should be overseen by the company itself,
specific goals for the RL etc. covering the various management responsibilities related to collections,
the back-end/recycling, financial and record management, the part­
4.3.2. Case application 2 nerships etc. The RL performance measurement should cover the eco­
The second case application of the RL support tool involved a global nomic KPIs such as the cost for collection, recycling or treatment, the
healthcare company (named here as Case company 4) that has the total cost of take-back, disposal, administration, and communication.
ambition to set-up RL for their EoU/EoL medical devices, which are used The environmental KPIs should focus on assessing resource saved/
primarily in the homecare settings. The workshop was conducted with diverted from landfills. Additionally, operation-related KPIs including
two senior representatives, both previously involved in strategising and return rates should also be monitored.
establishing RL programmes for their EoU/EoL medical devices in Finally, module 4 (checking the configuration) showed that cleaning
various countries. The same approach was followed as with Case com­ as an activity may also be selected considering the contaminations in the
pany 3, i.e., giving an overview of the tool and the supplementary re­ collected products. Recommendations were also provided regarding the
sources, followed by deliberations covering the topics in the various next steps related to different aspects of RL planning.
modules in the RL support tool while using the Playbook as a basis for
discussions. 4.3.3. Evaluation of the RL support tool
Starting with Module 1 (Motivation and Context), the company has For evaluating the support tool, the same online feedback form used
chosen to focus on their EoU/EoL medical devices, specifically targeting for empirical testing of the RLST’s was used; with an added question to
the German market. It understands that EPR legislation is in place and assess the feedback on the supporting tool (i.e. the playbook). Fig. 10
mandatory, allowing both Individual Producer Responsibility (IPR) and summarises the responses on a scale of 1–5 (5 being the best). Overall,
Collective Producer Responsibility (CPR) with financial and full organ­ all the participants from the two case companies (Companies 3 and 4)
isational involvement. The motivation for product take-back stems from rated 4 or above on most of the questions. On the aspect of saving time,
corporate sustainability commitments and to increasing product users’/ one of the comments received was “Very detailed configurator. In my

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P.K. Mallick et al. Journal of Environmental Management 351 (2024) 119819

Fig. 10. Evaluation of the RL support tool by case companies 3 and 4.

view, the purpose of the tool is not to help to save time but more to beyond the traditional or forward logistics and often various organisa­
ensure a clear understanding of the knowledge required to design a take- tional functions are involved within companies such as logistics and
back programme. The tool shows the knowledge gap that the team has to operations, resource recovery and end market development, partner­
close to take relevant decision and design a good pilot.” ships and collaboration, building financial and environmental case,
The companies regarded the support tool as beneficial for gaining an regulatory affairs, communication and marketing (Mallick et al., 2022).
overall understanding of RL as well as scenario building and under­ In this context, the RL support tool is ideal for use in a collabo­
standing how different scenarios might work. Case company 3 was keen rative/team environment, bringing together the different functions
to investigate its RL programme’s cost and revenue model and believed where the RLST can be used as a design tool not just in the very initial
scenario building using the tool could assist them in their financial stage, for forming the foundations of the RL programme but also over
analysis. Some of the comments received were: “Overall very time as an iterative process to evaluate the elements needed for a robust
constructive and useful”, “RL for other products can be explored”, and RL planning.
“the tool provides a useful framework for RL– we have our own While the RL support tool can help build different scenarios of RL
framework, but using the support tool makes us think a few other aspects system design, further investigations may be subsequently undertaken
too”. The company also shared that looking at all the RL aspects covered by the businesses to compare and finalise the most appropriate scenario
in the tool, “it may seem daunting – it’s implicit to assume that all the of RL system design based on various criteria related to financial,
aspects need to be worked upon,” however they also pointed out that all environmental, social, or compliance/risks parameters.
challenges don’t need to be simultaneously solved- “we can start small The RLST does come with certain limitations, which could be
(say in 3 hospitals) and slowly build the RL ecosystem”. The evaluation addressed in further research. One of the limitations relates to usability.
also highlighted further opportunities for improvement; the companies Excel based configurators can be difficult for users to navigate especially
felt that some of the choices/options could be made clearer- “Some of when the feature models are large, and corrections need to be made to
the choices/options aren’t very clearly explained” or “Show the defini­ address the inconsistencies. While graphical design and icons can be
tion/meaning of the terms which are used into the configurator” or “the valuable for efficient and intuitive user interface, Excel may have
Playbook is a big help, but the clarity of wording in the tool itself could limited graphical capabilities, for instance, it can require manual ad­
be enhanced”. Also, the tool could have a more visual value chain-based justments for placing icons, the files can become cumbersome to use and
structure (than a vertical layout)- “something to think for the web-based maintain. Furthermore, as evidenced from the case application, while a
configurator”. playbook can be a useful decision support, users shared the need to have
explanations of the terms/features in the tool itself.
5. Discussion This research advances the knowledge and application of configu­
ration systems-while configurators have been applied successfully in
The research set out to design a support tool that can help address the many domains such as automotive, telecommunication, and financial
barriers related to knowledge and experience in RL design. A practical services (Leitner et al., 2014), this research investigated how a support
contribution of the research is the support tool and its additional re­ tool based on principles of configuration systems can be designed and
sources (i.e., the Playbook). The resulting support tool helps companies used for planning and implementing RL for EoU/EoL products. One of
plan and implement RL - in addition to allowing companies to assess the main tasks in designing a configuration-based support tool is the
their motivation/driver and set the context (e.g., product characteris­ development of a knowledge base; an academic contribution of this
tics, the existence and nature of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) research was the demonstration of an approach to building such a
legislation), it supports the design of the RL network/channel and other knowledge base for a domain like RL, which needs consideration of
aspects such as stakeholder collaboration, legislation, consumer many different aspects and can be complex and dynamic – considering
behaviour and incentives, use of digital technologies, key performance the interplay of the motivations of the companies, the ever-growing
indicators and factors around governance/programme management. types of products and their characteristics, the different ways collec­
As corroborated through the case studies, such a tool can be helpful tion and resource recovery activities can be organised, the influence of
for practitioners responsible for RL planning, in addressing the knowl­ (constantly evolving) legislation, and consumer behaviour, among
edge gaps, stimulating discussions among stakeholders, for scenario others. Furthermore, to adapt to the dynamic nature of the field of RL,
building and for analysing how different scenarios might work. the knowledge base allows future modifications-for instance, adding
Designing RL is a multifaceted process needing additional capabilities more details/features or customisation for specific products and

12
P.K. Mallick et al. Journal of Environmental Management 351 (2024) 119819

geographies. This research also validates the conclusions by Le et al. Credit author statement
(2021) regarding the use of Excel-based configurators as a means for
facilitating the participation of non-IT stakeholders in knowledge engi­ Tim C. McAloone: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Funding
neering processes (Le et al., 2021). acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Re­
The study also touches upon the Decision Support System (DSS) sources, Supervision, Validation, Writing – original draft, Writing – re­
research. DSSs can represent a broad range - from the least complex view & editing. Daniela C. A. Pigosso: Conceptualization, Formal
information retrieval systems that provide access to information with analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project
the goal of using the information to help make a decision to the most administration, Resources, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing
complex model-based systems that involve an inference engine for – review & editing. Kim Bang Salling: Conceptualization, Formal anal­
inference, prediction, or decision analysis, allowing any decision to be ysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources,
modelled and solved using a formal decision analysis approach (Mar­ Supervision, Validation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review &
comini et al., 2009). Studies have demonstrated how DSS can lead to editing. Pravin Kumar Mallick: Conceptualization, Data curation,
more formalised planning – manifested through an increase in the Formal analysis, Methodology, Validation, Visualization, Writing –
number of alternatives examined, an ability to carry out ad-hoc ana­ original draft, Writing – review & editing.
lyses, improved understanding and communications, more effective
teamwork etc. (Laitinen, 1989). The RL support tool can be considered Declaration of competing interest
an information-based DSS that assimilates the knowledge on RL systems
planning, presents these to practitioners in a user-friendly interface for The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
coordinating decision flows among decision participants, and addresses interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
the aspect of RL planning. the work reported in this paper.
The development of the RL support tool also contributes to the field
of design research. The contributions can be seen from two dimensions. Acknowledgements
One is that configuration for designing an RL system in itself is a design
activity (Sabin and Weigel, 1998). Indeed, designing an RL system may The authors wish to thank the Graz University of Technology, Austria
involve making choices of different activities and decisions, e.g., selec­ for providing access to the FM2EXCONF tool and to the companies who
tion of collection methods, resource recirculation strategies, stake­ participated in the workshops and provided feedback on the RL support
holders to be involved, etc. (Mallick et al., 2023). Another dimension for tool.
consideration is the systematic approach followed to develop the sup­ This study was conducted under the Manufacturing Academy of
port tool, which was deemed very similar to the design of a product or a Denmark’s research and innovation programme, MADE FAST.
system. For this reason, the support tool’s development is viewed as a
design task, following the Design Research Methodology (Blessing and Appendix A. Supplementary data
Chakrabarti, 2009).
Supplementary data to this article can be found online at [Link]
6. Conclusions org/10.1016/[Link].2023.119819.

The purpose of the present research was twofold – first, to design a References
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