Why Is Reuse Important?
Reuse is the attempt to extend the life of an item, unlike recycling, which takes the raw material from an item and turns it into something else, giving it a second life. Reuse is important because it makes the first life last longer, skirting the need for recycling and saving energy, material and money in the process.
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Preventing the Need to Recycle
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Turning raw material into something “new” requires the use of production. Reusing versus recycling, then, means less air and water pollution. According to Jonathan Essex, Reclaimed Materials Manager at Bioregional Development Group, if we reclaimed 50 percent of reusable iron and steel, the carbon savings would be equivalent to taking 29,000 cars off the road.
Waste Reduction
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When the products you buy stay in your home and out of the trash bin, this reduces the amount of goods and materials circulating in the waste stream, resulting in less hazardous waste overall.
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Saving Resources
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The less we collectively buy and need, the less raw materials are needed to create more “stuff” to satisfy our material wants. This means more forests, raw materials, fuel and other valuable resources.
Saving Money
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When you keep reuse in mind, you buy goods that are durable and last long, then maintain their quality to keep them in good condition. The longer you can keep what you have, the more money you’ll save. Disposal costs are also avoided on multiple levels.
Keeping Embodied Energy
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Whenever something new is manufactured, it takes “embodied energy” to make. When you keep the original item, you maintain its embodied energy for the lifetime of its use.
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