Product reuse comes at the top of the waste hierarchy as a waste prevention measure that avoids the environmental burdens associated with product manufacture and disposal or recycling.
This best practice focusses on encouraging the diversion of reusable products away from waste streams and into reuse streams, through the active establishment or facilitation of second-hand and municipal exchange markets or charity collections. Additionally, waste management organisations can send certain waste streams to preparation for reuse by establishing or facilitating the creation of reuse/repair centres.
This best practice contains four key measures:
- Collection of products suitable for reuse before these are considered waste, reparation them if needed, and distribution or sell them to residents and organisations, including charities;
- Collection of waste items suitable for reuse, preparation for reuse, and distribution or sell them to residents and organisations, including charities;
- Establishment of effective information exchanges to advertise the demand for, and market the availability of, reusable used products;
- Monitoring of the output (regardless of whether their input is classified as waste or product) of repair and reuse centres which have been accredited based on Annex IV to the Waste Framework Directive.
One way to foster reuse is establishing products/materials exchange areas in civic amenity sites (visit the civic amenity practice here) where residents can deliver products still fully or partially functioning or usable. Likewise, another important element of this best practice is the formation of partnerships with social economy organisations and other stakeholders.