Reduce - the amount of energy and materials used in the manufacture of a product, helping to protect valuable resources.

Re-use - the product for something else so you don’t need to throw it away

Recycle - the product in order to take new components for new products

Rethink - products and how we use them. is there a better way to do the job that’s better for the environment?

Repair - products rather than throwing them away. can you design a product that’s easier to repair rather than throw away?

Refuse - to buy materials and products that are unsustainable

Product disposal:

landfill

• pollutes (contaminates groundwater or soil)

• it emits methane gas - a flammable, explosive gas which contributes to the greenhouse effect

• it smells

• it has a negative impact on wildlife

Alternatives to landfill

resource recovery - recovering disposed materials for specific uses, for example composting or recycling

energy recovery - recovering disposed materials for energy generation

incineration - burning waste to reduce the volume of landfill, but it can potentially release harmful gas emissions such as carbon dioxide.

End-of-life disposal: - how we dispose of products can have a significant impact on the environment.

Recycle rather than using landfill

Reuse for example glass milk bottles can be returned to the dairy, sterilised and reused. Jars can be reused as containers for other items. plastics can be reused.

If a product has to go into landfill: ideally it should be made of biodegradable materials that break down quickly

Responsible end of life disposal should include:

as few materials as possible, recycled and recyclable materials, easy to separate materials and built in reusability.