Taking into account how a product can be assembled, deassembled and reassembled in the design process is the design strategy that Veldeman Bedding applies in the vel_you concept.
“Most beds and mattresses are made to never come loose again,” says Valerie Veldeman, “making it time-consuming and expensive to separate and recycle the parts later.” The vel_you concept argues differently and also allows a bed to be reduced to parts, basic components and materials. An important innovation compared to traditional bed constructions because it encourages repair and reuse.
Marco Debruijn, designer of the vel_you concept, proposes an important condition to enable reassembly: the avoidance of permanent compounds such as glue and nails. Developing snap and screw joints are often necessary to facilitate the reassembly process, such as the Veldeman click systems that attach the mattress to the frame.
Design for reassembly is an important strategy to enable next steps in the circular economy from repair to reuse and recycling. That is why it is crucial, like Veldeman, to include this reassemblystarting point in the design process. This allows us to evolve into circular production chains that retain the value of materials and components instead of reducing them to waste.
