At Rompa Group we split the life cycle of a product into 3 phases.
Beginning of life (BOL)
In the context of manufacturing and product life cycles, the beginning of life (BOL) refers to the initial stages of a product's existence. This is the stage of ideas and prototypes. The BOL stage is the most crucial stage for sustainability since it is in this phase that materials are selected, production location is selected and processes are set into place. It is here where we select reusable plastic so we can be sure that by the end of the life cycle of the product we can either reuse or recycle the plastic.
Middle of life (MOL)
The prime time of a product's life cycle. It’s where the product is ready for marketing and sales. The most important goal of the phase is: time. We want this phase to last as long as possible. Meaning that the product is being used as it was designed for, for as long as possible and without damage. We can extend this phase by making it possible for the product to be repaired.
End of life (EOL)
Some products never reach this phase, which is a good thing as they are still being used for what they have been designed for. But there has to be a proper solution for the products that have reached this cycle. During this phase a product is not being used or sold anymore. It is the final stage of the product and this is where reuse and recycling comes to mind to properly restart the cycle with a new product.
Why is the product life cycle important for us? Taking the full life cycle of a product into consideration means that we also consider what happens with the product when it is not being used anymore. This means that we take responsibility for the product we produce, but more importantly of the materials we implement. Together we want to make sure that we have a circular product life cycle instead of a linear cycle. This way we can be sure that all manufactured plastic will be reused, recycled or repaired.