Power your circular product journey with product data

Your products are going circular. Are you ready?  

The linear flow of make > use > dispose is unsustainable. Not only is it at odds with the realities of modern society, but it also fails to meet evolving demands from consumers and regulators. To meet these growing needs, brands and manufacturers are redefining their product journeys.

Linear is out. Circular is in.

What does it mean for you?  

Going circular isn’t an overnight switch. It requires forward planning and data-driven decision-making. The right technology can help you secure the product data governance you need to power this circular transition. From sourcing raw materials to managing product lifecycles across the digital shelf, every stage of your circular product journey depends on accurate, accessible product information.

Understanding the circular product journey

The circular product journey reimagines how products move through their lifecycle. Instead of the traditional linear path (raw materials to manufacturing to disposal), circular models keep materials and products in use for as long as possible through reuse, repair, refurbishment, and recycling.

For you as a brand or manufacturer, this means managing significantly more complex product data. You need to track:

• Material sourcing and origin: Where did your materials come from? What is their environmental impact
• Manufacturing processes: How was the product made? What energy sources were used?
• Product usage and maintenance: How should customers use and care for the product to extend its life
• End-of-life options: Can the product be repaired, refurbished, or recycled? Where can customers send it
• Compliance and certification: Does your product meet emerging regulations like Digital Product Passports?

This level of transparency requires robust product information management throughout the entire lifecycle.

Why the digital shelf matters for circular products

Your circular product journey doesn’t exist in isolation. You need to communicate your sustainability story to customers across every channel where they discover and purchase your products.

The digital shelf is where your circular product story comes to life. Whether customers find your products on Amazon, your own website, or through retailer partners, they expect to see detailed information about sustainability, repairability, and end-of-life options.

Managing this information across multiple channels manually is nearly impossible. That’s where product content syndication becomes essential for your circular strategy. When you centralize your product data in a PIM system, you can:

• Distribute sustainability information consistently across all sales channels
• Update circular economy details in one place and syndicate automatically
• Ensure compliance with marketplace-specific requirements for environmental claims
• Tell your product’s origin story with rich content like material sourcing details and carbon footprint data

Without effective product content syndication, your circular product information remains fragmented. Some channels might show detailed sustainability data while others lack it entirely, creating an inconsistent customer experience that undermines trust in your environmental commitments.

In our comprehensive ebook, you’ll discover:

• How supply chains are being reimagined
• Where robust data governance extracts added value from your products 
• What you can do to position your business for long-term sustainable value  
• Why so many global names rely on inriver to power their circular product journeys