Briefing: remanufacturing and reuse – trends and prospects

To date, much of the effort in resource efficiency has been directed at the reduction of waste. Recent legislation, however, points to the use of actions higher in the waste management hierarchy, including a higher value of options for resource reduction or product reuse. This paper reviews the spectrum of reuse, its dimensions and potential, and the consequent impact on the carbon reduction agenda. An important element of reuse is change to the relationships between manufacturers and consumers and the implied business models. The paper concludes with a review of actions and policies that could be enacted to encourage greater product reuse.