Sustainable Futures | 2026
Authors: Daneshmand S.; Ameli M.
DOI: 10.1016/j.sftr.2026.101713
Journal: Sustainable Futures
Year: 2026
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
Document Type: Article
Open Access: All Open Access; Gold Open Access
Cited by: 1
In the study, the detailed methodology is designed to pick the best strategies related to the product design and end-of-life (EOL) revaluation option at the same time based on the principles of the circular economy. A model of profit maximization is proposed, which has organized a number of cost and revenue variables as well as the importance of the quality of returned parts as an important decision-making criterion. Robust Flexible Programming (RFP) is applied to manage uncertainties that are involved in the condition of returned items in the EOL phase. The RFP model has better robustness in terms of feasibility because of the flexibility of quality constraints. Since there is no accurate quality data at the design stage, such flexibility in the constraints enhances the robustness of the model. In addition, the model has certain constraints, in particular, the restrictions on recycling and recovery rates to guarantee that the international sustainability guidelines are adhered to. The proposed model is used on a vehicle design case of circularity consideration in regards to End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) directives. Lastly, the sensitivity analysis demonstrates some important conclusions, such as the strong impact of the collection costs on profitability. The model can be a useful resource to examine the impact of specified requirements of the circular economy regulations on the economic feasibility and environmental sustainability of producers. This is also useful in enabling the policy makers to predict how the producers are going to react to such policies and thus the effectiveness of such policies. © 2026 The Author(s)
End-of-use management; Environmental regulation; Flexible constraints; Product revaluation; Quality uncertainty; Sustainable product design