Assunção Cristas took part in the ‘Vozes Circulares’ podcast, an initiative promoted by the Smart Waste Portugal Association in partnership with Rádio Observador. In this episode, together with Jorge Araújo, executive director of the Centre for Waste Recovery, they addressed the topic "How can we extend the lifespan of products?".

In response to this question, the speakers explained the importance of eco-design and the right to reparation as strategies for extending the life cycle of products, covering techniques, legislation and the problem of planned obsolescence.

Assunção Cristas emphasised that the legislative framework in this area is constantly evolving. ‘At the moment we have a fairly robust legislative framework, which is still under development, but every quarter or six months there are new laws passed or being implemented, in line with the European Union's Circular Economy Action Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),’ she explained.

Throughout the episode, they stressed the importance of the circular economy in maximising the lifespan of materials, through strategies that extend the products' functionality. In this context, the VdA lawyer emphasised the need to promote durability, repairability and reuse, reducing waste and the extraction of new raw materials.

• This episode is available here.