As industries increasingly focus on how products are managed after use, topics such as recycling, material recovery and value retention have become important considerations in product design.
The way a product is designed can influence how materials are collected, processed and reused once the product reaches the end of its service life.
Why product design matters
Many products are manufactured using a combination of different materials. While this may provide certain performance benefits, it can also create challenges when materials are processed after use.
When products contain multiple polymers or coatings, additional sorting and separation steps may be required before materials can be processed. The complexity of these processes can influence both the quality and potential applications of recovered materials.
For this reason, many industries are increasingly exploring mono-material product designs.
Mono-material and multi-material products
Mono-Material Products
A mono-material product is manufactured primarily from a single polymer or material type.
Using a single material can simplify identification, collection and processing because fewer separation steps may be required.
ONE-DNA™ artificial grass is based primarily on polyethylene (PE), allowing the product to follow a different design approach from conventional multi-material artificial grass systems.
Multi-Material Products
Traditional artificial grass products often contain a combination of materials, such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), latex, polyurethane (PU) or other components.
When multiple materials are combined within a product structure, processing after use can become more complex because different materials may require different treatment methods.
Recycling and downcycling
Not all recycling processes result in the same material quality.
Recycling
Recycling refers to the processing of used materials into new raw materials or products.
Downcycling
Downcycling occurs when recovered materials are used in applications that generally require lower performance characteristics than the original product.
This can happen when different materials are mixed together and the resulting material no longer has the same properties as the original raw materials.
Understanding the distinction between recycling and downcycling is important when evaluating product design and material composition.
Design for Recycling
Design for Recycling is an approach that considers future processing options during product development.
By evaluating material selection, product composition and processing routes early in the design phase, manufacturers can better understand how products may be managed after use.
This approach is increasingly being adopted across many sectors, including packaging, automotive, consumer goods and construction products.
Looking ahead
As regulations, product standards and material management systems continue to evolve, transparency around product composition and processing options is becoming increasingly important.
By focusing on material selection, value retention and Design for Recycling principles, manufacturers can support more informed decision-making throughout the product lifecycle.
Update, October 2026: this article reflects the ONE-DNA™ range at the time of publication, based on polyethylene (PE). ONE-DNA™ now also includes a 100% PO route; see Technology for the current material routes.
Related: Sustainability · Technology
