Re-use of products is placed higher in the waste minimisation hierarchy than recycling. Re-use means putting the material to use again in the same (or similar way to its previous role) without putting it through a major transformation.
It means using products more than once for the purpose for which they were designed, e.g. collecting, washing out and refilling glass milk bottles.
Re-use is a good opportunity for a company to save money by reducing the material (e.g. packaging material) which it buys in, as well as saving money on landfill costs and the associated landfill tax (see WRAP).
For example, a company takes delivery of its raw materials in cardboard boxes. The boxes are then used to pack its products for shipment to its customers.
Of course, re-use is not an environmental ‘free ride’. Materials for re-use need to be transported to where they can be used next. Many companies transport their product on robust wooden pallets or metal stillages which are designed for re-use. These need to be returned from their customers’ premises for re-use. The environmental cost of this transportation is usually more than offset by the savings made re-using the pallets.
Products intended for repeated use must be designed to withstand the wear and tear of the extended life cycle. But in some cases, a more robust and, therefore, heavier design increases the environmental cost of transportation. This has to be balanced against the cost of production and disposal.
However, where a product is transported over long distances, the combination of increased weight and the need for a return journey for re-use can make disposable packaging the better environmental option.
Collection for re-use
Efficient collection is one of the key issues which tips the economic balance in favour of re-use. Many companies encourage the segregated collection of items such as printer cartridges for re-use. This is only a viable option if the items are segregated at their point of origin as a waste. If they have become mixed with other wastes, it may be uneconomical in terms of time and cost to extract them.