# Extending lifespan: Wear and non-wear component analysis in end-of-life products

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a method to extend the lifespan of end-of-life product components by categorizing them and applying circular economy strategies.

## Contribution

The paper expands R-strategies and introduces a 360° visual diagnostic tool for component-level circularity assessment.

## Key findings

- The 360° visual diagnostic tool effectively categorizes components based on wear and remaining useful life.
- Applying expanded R-strategies significantly improves resource efficiency and reduces landfill waste.
- The method was validated using a product from a Swedish outdoor power product manufacturer.

## Abstract

Products often end up in landfills after serving their purpose, e.g. after their end-of-life. While some parts can be/sometimes are salvaged for valuable materials like rare earth elements, the majority are discarded—a common but wasteful practice. The concept of circular economy promotes recycling or recovering to maximize resource efficiency and to avoid landfill from end-of-life products, though often sub-optimally. Our method introduces a simple, yet novel, concept grounded in circular economy principles to extend the lifespan of end-of-life products’ components. The product is disassembled, and components are grouped based on their susceptibility to wear and tear. Using a 360° visual diagnostic tool, individual components are then categorized as either healthy with reduced remaining-useful-life or having reached end-of-life. Appropriate R-strategies such as reuse, repurpose, refurbish, remanufacture, recycle, and recover are subsequently applied, extending the lifespan of the component. The proof-of-concept for the 360° visual diagnostic tool is validated using a product from a Swedish outdoor power product manufacturer.•Focus on end-of-life products not originally designed with circular economy principles.•Expands R-strategies from recycle and recover to reuse, repurpose, refurbish, remanufacture, recycle and recover for end-of-life products.•Provides practitioners with a decision-making tool to estimate component-level circularity and identify end-of-life strategies.

Focus on end-of-life products not originally designed with circular economy principles.

Expands R-strategies from recycle and recover to reuse, repurpose, refurbish, remanufacture, recycle and recover for end-of-life products.

Provides practitioners with a decision-making tool to estimate component-level circularity and identify end-of-life strategies.

Image, graphical abstract