Reuse
Benefits of reuse
First of its kind research into understanding the huge economic and environmental benefits that reuse could have.
- Register to download the Benefits of Product Reuse tool.
The value of reusing household waste electricals and electronic equipment
Latest research highlights potential to create high resale value from repair, refurbishment and open market resale of WEEE. Find out more here.
Online Exchange Potential Impact
A study to develop an understanding of the benefits of online exchange, this report refers to the transfer of any items that are not new, through internet exchange sites.
Reuse
Reuse of products is a simple way of extending their life. There is a hierarchy within reuse depending on the amount of work required to return an item back into service, whether it's through:
- direct reuse - upgrading, passing items on, sale of second-hand items, refurbishment of used products;
- repair of products to return to service; or
- remanufacturing - reinstating items to their original condition and selling them with a warranty matching that of a new item.
Reducing consumption vs. lifetime optimisation
WRAP’s report Meeting the UK climate change challenge: The contribution of resource efficiency - Full report (832 kb) ![[pdf]](http://www.wrap.org.uk/display_images/document_icons/pdf.gif){kind=icon}
has demonstrated that reducing the consumption of products can reduce the impact those products have on climate change.
Optimising the life of the products we have to use will ensure that the most is made of their value. However, this is not always straightforward. In some cases it’s better to upgrade to more energy-efficient models, but in other cases there will be strong justification for making highly durable products that are easily repaired and upgraded.
The Resource Efficiency Loop illustrates the commercial and environmental benefits that can be gained through smarter design, reuse and recycling.
Lifetime Optimisation Tool
WRAP's Lifetime Optimisation Tool is intended to help retailers, brands, buyer and/or designers understand the ‘optimum life’ of products and identify where the greatest environmental savings can be made.
By analysing different scenarios the tool illustrates whether life extension or manufacturing a new product would be more beneficial, and how long a new product should be used to have less impacts than the original.
