Analysis of the lifetime of products to support a circular economy

Most countries are based on the linear economy production system, which extracts increasingly amounts of resources, generating huge amounts of waste. Therefore, the need to preserve the resources and to prevent waste has called the attention to aspects related to the lifespan of products, since it has an essential role in the estimation of the period which the products stays in society (material stocks and flows), the amount of end-of-life, as well as, of secondary raw materials. Besides that, materials and products can be kept longer in the economy by using strategies such as, product life extension and recycling. Hence, it is essential to move from the linear System to an economy in which materials, as well as products, remain in the system and circulate within it. Although lifespan of products is crucial for resource management, the definition of lifespan still varies significantly, so does the methodologies applied to collect data related to it. Thus, this paper aims to perform a literature survey on the definitions and the methodologies used to estimate the lifespan of products. Finally, the paper discusses the importance of clearly describe the definitions and methodologies of product lifespan, and how they could contribute to achieve goals, as those established by the diverse EU Circular Economy Action Plan.Keywords: product lifetime extension, product lifetime, circular economy, EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy.