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Better Materials for Better Products – Efrat Friedland (Materialscout)
WAYS – Ecodesign Encounters from the Field
Episode #4 – Efrat Friedland (Materialscout)
About WAYS
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).
Who This Episode Is ForRelevant for product designers, product managers, sustainability teams and organisations working on better material choices, circularity and eco-design readiness.
About the GuestEfrat Friedland
Founder, Materialscout
Wolfgang Steiner
Founder, Ecoviator
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wolfgangsteiner/
https://www.ecoviator.com
In this episode, Wolfgang speaks with Efrat Friedland, material expert and founder of Materialscout, about the role of materials in sustainable product design.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Key Topics• Materials as emotional and strategic product drivers
• BSH case: recycled materials in consumer electronics
• Recyclable vs. recycled – terminology matters
• Limits of material impact in lifecycle assessments
• Barriers to adopting new materials
• Positive Plastics as a learning tool for designers
• Closing material loops and reducing portfolio complexity
• Reduce unnecessary material complexity
• Align design, procurement, engineering and marketing early
• Think beyond one product: look at the whole portfolio
• Prioritise lower material use, not only material substitution
• Explore take-back and closed-loop material systems
• “We don’t need more products – we need better material decisions.”
• “Recyclable does not mean recycled.”
• “Brands should think of materials as their own assets.”
00:00 Introduction
05:31 From designer to material expert
11:35 BSH material case
17:04 Recyclability claims
20:05 Materials and LCA
22:58 Introducing better materials
28:20 Positive Plastics
31:43 Future material standards
35:50 Making eco-design the norm
Content Type: Interview
Primary Goal: Education
Music Credits:
“Lullaby | Hip-Hop Instrumental” by kontraamusic
Source: Freesound.org
Licensed under Creative Commons CC0
View all episodes
By Wolfgang SteinerWAYS – Ecodesign Encounters from the Field
Episode #4 – Efrat Friedland (Materialscout)
About WAYS
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).
Who This Episode Is ForRelevant for product designers, product managers, sustainability teams and organisations working on better material choices, circularity and eco-design readiness.
About the GuestEfrat Friedland
Founder, Materialscout
Wolfgang Steiner
Founder, Ecoviator
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wolfgangsteiner/
https://www.ecoviator.com
In this episode, Wolfgang speaks with Efrat Friedland, material expert and founder of Materialscout, about the role of materials in sustainable product design.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Key Topics• Materials as emotional and strategic product drivers
• BSH case: recycled materials in consumer electronics
• Recyclable vs. recycled – terminology matters
• Limits of material impact in lifecycle assessments
• Barriers to adopting new materials
• Positive Plastics as a learning tool for designers
• Closing material loops and reducing portfolio complexity
• Reduce unnecessary material complexity
• Align design, procurement, engineering and marketing early
• Think beyond one product: look at the whole portfolio
• Prioritise lower material use, not only material substitution
• Explore take-back and closed-loop material systems
• “We don’t need more products – we need better material decisions.”
• “Recyclable does not mean recycled.”
• “Brands should think of materials as their own assets.”
00:00 Introduction
05:31 From designer to material expert
11:35 BSH material case
17:04 Recyclability claims
20:05 Materials and LCA
22:58 Introducing better materials
28:20 Positive Plastics
31:43 Future material standards
35:50 Making eco-design the norm
Content Type: Interview
Primary Goal: Education
Music Credits:
“Lullaby | Hip-Hop Instrumental” by kontraamusic
Source: Freesound.org
Licensed under Creative Commons CC0