Integrating material recovery into the product development process (PDP) is critical for advancing towards circularity. Circularity refers to a systemic approach to product and system design in which materials, components, and products are upheld at their highest value for to the fullest extent which supports closing material loops through effective raw-material recovery (RMR). This paper focuses on the specifications for a tool designed to prioritize material recovery and circularity within PDP, with particular attention to the needs and constraints of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The current study focuses on the findings from the ToCoReRaM (Tool for Complete Recovery of Raw Materials) project, which employed a mixed-methods approach including interviews, surveys, and a workshop, proposing specifications for a new tool framework to support SMEs. Empirical findings reveal that SMEs face significant challenges in identifying, evaluating, and implementing recovery and sustainability strategies during PDP given their priorities primarily remain in cost control, time-to-market, and maintaining viability despite limited resources and capacity. Therefore, to embed circularity early and avoid costly redesigns, a straightforward, specialist‑free tool that integrates company and product level assessments with a primary environment impact assessment to pinpoint material and process hotspots is required within the PDP. To ensure the specifications align with the PDP, the proposed tool framework is integrated into the IDOV phases of the Design‑for‑Six‑Sigma methodology.

Keywords

Material Recovery, Product Development, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, IDOV method, Tool specifications.