We intend to embrace sustainable practices and align with Amsterdam’s goal of promoting a sustainable image. Our circular economy business model aims to improve the environmental perception of power banks. This transition involves redesigning our product, raising awareness of recycling, and extending the product lifespan to minimize waste generation.
To ensure a sustainable and circular approach, we propose the following redesign aspects for our power banks.
By implementing design modifications, we will enhance the durability and reliability of our power banks. This focus on product longevity reduces the likelihood of failures and the need for replacements, thus minimizing waste.
Our redesigned power banks will prioritize ease of maintenance and repairability. Modular designs will enable efficient component replacement, ensuring that the devices can be easily repaired rather than discarded when failure occurs. This approach significantly reduces electronic waste and contributes to the circularity of the product.
We intend to use recycled, recyclable, renewable, and biodegradable materials for the manufacturing of our power banks. This shift will considerably reduce the environmental impact associated with the production and disposal of our devices, supporting a more sustainable and circular supply chain.
We recognize the importance of educating our customers and the broader community on the significance of recycling power banks. To achieve this, we will implement the following initiatives.
Through various communication channels, including our website, social media platforms, and rental packaging, we will actively promote the importance of recycling power banks. We will provide clear instructions on proper returning methods and encourage customers to return used power banks to us.
We will establish collaborations with local recycling facilities and organizations specializing in e-waste management. By working closely with these partners, we can ensure that returned power banks are properly recycled, minimizing the environmental impact and supporting a circular economy approach.
We are committed to extending the lifespan of our power banks, reducing waste generation, and promoting sustainability. The following strategies will be employed:
Our redesigned power banks will undergo rigorous quality testing and improvements to ensure they withstand regular use and offer a longer lifespan. By prioritizing durability and quality, we aim to minimize the need for frequent replacements, thereby reducing waste and resource consumption.
We will establish a dedicated repair and refurbishment program to address any issues that may arise during the power bank’s lifecycle. This program will include replacing worn-out parts and conducting repairs to extend the devices’ operational life, further contributing to waste reduction.
Another way us making our business more sustainable is by considering using second-hand power banks. Those power banks reuse the lithium-ion battery cells from first-generation ones, or other battery-powered devices, such as electrical bikes/cars or laptops. There are many research projects that have succeeded in this area (e.g. “The Nunam vision”1 )and can be investigated further for the future development of our company. The capacity of those battery would be on average around 65%.