WAYS - Ecodesign Encounters
Claim This Podcastby Wolfgang Steiner
Podcast Overview
<p><b>WAYS – Ecodesign Encounters from the Field</b></p><p></p><p>Because ecodesign is not a checklist.</p><p>It’s a journey you take.</p><p></p><p>On <b>WAYS</b>, we meet people who are paving new paths for sustainable products and services.</p><p>Straight from practice – in walking conversations or studio discussions.</p><p></p><p>We share perspectives on ecodesign in practice, the ESPR regulation, Digital Product Passports, data management, and the circular economy.</p><p>Because ecodesign creates products and services that are fit for the future.</p><p></p><p>Hosted by <b>Wolfgang Steiner (Ecoviator).</b></p><p></p><p>New episodes every two weeks. Subscribe & share!</p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://ecoviator.com/ways" target="_blank"><b>ecoviator.com/ways</b></a></p>
Language
🇩🇪
Publishing Since
2/20/2026
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Recent Episodes
June 3, 2026
The Human Side of Circular Economy – Mihaela Stefanescu (UNFCCC)
<p>WAYS – Ecodesign Encounters from the Field</p><p><br /><b>Episode #6 – The Human Side of Circular Economy – Mihaela Stefanescu (UNFCCC)</b><br /></p><p><b>About WAYS</b></p><p>WAYS explores real-world experiences at the intersection of ecodesign, circular economy, product sustainability and the systems that help make sustainable transformation possible.</p><p><br /><b>Who This Episode Is For</b></p><p>Relevant for sustainability professionals, policy makers, product teams, circular economy practitioners and anyone interested in the connection between climate action and product design.</p><p><br /><b>About the Guest</b></p><p>Mihaela Stefanescu</p><p>Circular Economy and Climate Governance Expert | UNFCCC Roster of Experts | Senior Counselor to the Romanian Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests<br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mihaela-stefanescu-9b76702/" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/mihaela-stefanescu-9b76702/</a></p><p><br /><b>About the Host</b></p><p>Wolfgang Steiner</p><p>Founder & Owner, Ecoviator</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/wolfgangsteiner/" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/wolfgangsteiner/</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.ecoviator.com" target="_blank">https://www.ecoviator.com</a><br /></p><p><b>Summary</b></p><p>In this episode, Wolfgang speaks with Mihaela Stefanescu about the relationship between circular economy, climate policy and product design.<br /></p><p>Mihaela shares insights from her work on circular economy policy and as a nominated expert on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) roster of experts supporting technical reviews under the Paris Agreement.<br /></p><p>Together they explore why circularity is essential for achieving climate goals, why waste is often the result of design decisions made long before a product reaches consumers, and why repairability, transparency and material choices play a crucial role in creating more sustainable systems.<br /></p><p>The conversation also highlights a theme often overlooked in technical discussions: circular economy is not only a challenge of technology and regulation, but also one of governance, education, trust and human behaviour.<br /></p><p><b>Topics Discussed</b></p><p>• Circular economy and climate action</p><p>• The role of the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement</p><p>• Why waste is often a design problem</p><p>• Repairability and product longevity</p><p>• Material choices and product sustainability</p><p>• Transparency and Digital Product Passports</p><p>• Building trust across countries and value chains</p><p>• The human side of circular economy<br /></p><p><b>Presented by Ecoviator</b></p><p>Your Journey Companion for the Twin Transformation of Products</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.ecoviator.com" target="_blank">https://www.ecoviator.com</a></p><p></p><p>Music Credits:<br />“Lullaby | Hip-Hop Instrumental” by kontraamusic<br />Source: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://Freesound.org" target="_blank">Freesound.org</a><br />Licensed under Creative Commons CC0</p>
May 20, 2026
From Scrap-Yard-Vibes to Industrial-Grade Recycling – Christian Aschenbrenner (PA)
<p><b>Über WAYS:</b></p><p>WAYS beleuchtet echte Erfahrungen an der Schnittstelle von <b>Eco-Design</b>, <b>Circular Economy</b>, <b>Produktnachhaltigkeit</b>, <b>digitaler Transformation</b> und <b>Regulatory Readiness</b> (u. a. ESPR, Digital Product Passport, Daten-Governance).</p><p></p><p><b>Für wen diese Episode gedacht ist:</b></p><p>Relevant für <b>Produktdesigner:innen</b>, <b>Produktmanager:innen</b>, <b>Sustainability Teams</b>, <b>Hersteller</b> sowie Akteure aus <b>Recycling, Refurbishment, </b>und<b> Repair.</b> </p><p></p><p><b>Über den Gast: Christian Aschenbrenner</b></p><p>Gründer & Geschäftsführer, <b>PA GmbH (</b><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://we-are-pa.com" target="_blank"><b>we-are-pa.com</b></a><b>)</b> – „Circular Architects“ mit Fokus auf <b>profitablere Recyclinglösungen</b>, insbesondere <b>WEEE</b> (E-Waste) und <b>große Hausgeräte</b>. </p><p></p><p><b>Über den Host: Wolfgang Steiner</b></p><p>Founder, Ecoviator</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/wolfgangsteiner/" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/wolfgangsteiner/</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.ecoviator.com" target="_blank">https://www.ecoviator.com</a></p><p></p><p><b>Summary:</b></p><p>In dieser Episode spreche ich mit Christian Aschenbrenner über Kreislaufwirtschaft dort, wo sie oft am wenigsten glamourös – aber am wirkungsvollsten – ist: <b>im Recyclingprozess selbst</b>. Christian beschreibt, warum echte Zirkularität nicht mit „mehr Recycling“ beginnt, sondern mit <b>besserer Trennung</b>, <b>saubereren Fraktionen</b> und <b>Materialqualitäten</b>, die am Markt wirklich bestehen können. </p><p></p><p><b>Key Topics:</b></p><p>• Zero Waste WEEE: Anspruch, Nutzen, Grenzen </p><p>• Industrialisierung im Recycling: Qualität, Standards, Prozessfähigkeit </p><p>• Skalierung: Mengenlogik der Hersteller vs. Realität der Stoffströme </p><p>• Design for Disassembly: Kleben/Materialmix als Circularity-Blocker </p><p>• DPP aus Recycler-Perspektive: welche Infos wirklich fehlen </p><p>• KI & Robotik für E-Waste-Behandlung (inkl. Demontage) </p><p>• Wertschöpfungskette auf Augenhöhe: Zusammenarbeit als Voraussetzung</p><p></p><p><b>Soundbites:</b></p><p>• „Kreislaufwirtschaft entscheidet sich im konkreten Prozess – nicht im Konzeptpapier.“ </p><p>• „Zero Waste WEEE ist ein Zielbild – und es gibt viel Potenzial zu holen.“ </p><p>• „Hersteller brauchen Masse <i>und</i> gleichbleibende Qualität – nicht viele unterschiedliche Qualitäten.“ </p><p></p><p><b>Chapters:</b></p><p>00:00 Intro & Kontext </p><p>02:03 Vor Ort bei PA: Recycling, Refurb, Repair </p><p>04:42 Zero Waste WEEE – was heißt das praktisch? </p><p>10:43 Industrialisierung im Recycling & Qualitätslogik </p><p>14:31 Designentscheidungen, die Circularity blocken </p><p>16:42 DPP: fehlende Infos aus Sicht der Recycler </p><p>24:56 Blick nach vorn: Robotik & KI in der E-Waste-Behandlung </p><p>27:33 „Wenn Hersteller nur eine Sache tun…“ (First Step) </p><p></p><p>Content Type: Interview</p><p>Primary Goal: Education</p><p></p><p>Music Credits:</p><p>“Lullaby | Hip-Hop Instrumental” by kontraamusic</p><p>Source: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://Freesound.org" target="_blank">Freesound.org</a></p><p>Licensed under Creative Commons CC0</p>
May 5, 2026
Better Materials for Better Products – Efrat Friedland (Materialscout)
<h2><b>WAYS – Ecodesign Encounters from the Field</b></h2><p>Episode #4 – Efrat Friedland (Materialscout)<br /></p><p><b>About WAYS</b></p><p>WAYS explores real-world experiences at the intersection of eco-design, product sustainability, digital transformation and regulatory readiness (ESPR, Digital Product Passport, data governance and the twin transformation).</p><h3><b>Who This Episode Is For</b></h3><p>Relevant for product designers, product managers, sustainability teams and organisations working on better material choices, circularity and eco-design readiness.</p><h3><b>About the Guest</b></h3><p><b>Efrat Friedland</b><br />Founder, Materialscout</p><h3><b>About the Host</b></h3><p><b>Wolfgang Steiner</b><br />Founder, Ecoviator<br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/wolfgangsteiner/" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/wolfgangsteiner/</a><br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.ecoviator.com" target="_blank">https://www.ecoviator.com</a></p><h3><b>Summary</b></h3><p>In this episode, Wolfgang speaks with Efrat Friedland, material expert and founder of Materialscout, about the role of materials in sustainable product design.</p><p>Efrat shares her journey from industrial design into material expertise – shaped by the realisation that the world does not simply need more products, but better decisions on what products are made of.</p><p>The conversation explores how material choices influence environmental impact, product perception, storytelling and collaboration across design, engineering, procurement and marketing. Through a real-world case with BSH / Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte, Efrat shows how teams can align around better material decisions – and how easily sustainability claims such as “recyclable” can be misunderstood.</p><p>A key insight: material selection alone does not define sustainability. Materials may represent only one part of a product’s footprint, but they remain a powerful lever when combined with lifecycle thinking, supply chain strategy and portfolio-level decisions.</p><p>Looking ahead, Efrat calls for reduced material complexity, fewer unnecessary product variants, closed material loops and a shift in mindset: brands should start seeing materials as their own long-term assets.</p><h3><b>Key Topics</b></h3><p>• Materials as emotional and strategic product drivers<br />• BSH case: recycled materials in consumer electronics<br />• Recyclable vs. recycled – terminology matters<br />• Limits of material impact in lifecycle assessments<br />• Barriers to adopting new materials<br />• Positive Plastics as a learning tool for designers<br />• Closing material loops and reducing portfolio complexity</p><h3><b>Action Items</b></h3><p>• Reduce unnecessary material complexity<br />• Align design, procurement, engineering and marketing early<br />• Think beyond one product: look at the whole portfolio<br />• Prioritise lower material use, not only material substitution<br />• Explore take-back and closed-loop material systems</p><h3><b>Soundbites</b></h3><p>• “We don’t need more products – we need better material decisions.”<br />• “Recyclable does not mean recycled.”<br />• “Brands should think of materials as their own assets.”</p><h3><b>Chapters</b></h3><p>00:00 Introduction<br />05:31 From designer to material expert<br />11:35 BSH material case<br />17:04 Recyclability claims<br />20:05 Materials and LCA<br />22:58 Introducing better materials<br />28:20 Positive Plastics<br />31:43 Future material standards<br />35:50 Making eco-design the norm</p><p></p><p><b>Content Type:</b> Interview</p><p><br /><b>Primary Goal:</b> Education</p><p></p><p><b>Music Credits:</b><br />“Lullaby | Hip-Hop Instrumental” by kontraamusic<br />Source: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://Freesound.org" target="_blank">Freesound.org</a><br />Licensed under Creative Commons CC0</p>
10 total episodes available
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- What is WAYS - Ecodesign Encounters?
<p><b>WAYS – Ecodesign Encounters from the Field</b></p><p></p><p>Because ecodesign is not a checklist.</p><p>It’s a journey you take.</p><p></p><p>On <b>WAYS</b>, we meet people who are paving new paths for sustainable products and services.</p><p>Straight from practice – in walking conversations or studio discussions.</p><p></p><p>We share perspectives on ecodesign in practice, the ESPR regulation, Digital Product Passports, data management, and the circular economy.</p><p>Because ecodesign creates products and services that are fit for the future.</p><p></p><p>Hosted by <b>Wolfgang Steiner (Ecoviator).</b></p><p></p><p>New episodes every two weeks. Subscribe & share!</p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://ecoviator.com/ways" target="_blank"><b>ecoviator.com/ways</b></a></p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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