Towards a Circular Economy: Exploring Routes to Reuse for Discarded Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Abstract

Waste reduction should be an integral strategy for meeting European Union commitments on the circular economy. The reuse of household goods, thereby increasing their life-spans, is thus not only part of the waste reduction agenda but necessary for progression towards a circular economy. Reuse does take place through many different routes and involves many actors. This complexity makes monitoring and increasing reuse particularly challenging. Previous research has concentrated on reuse through local government collections and there has been with limited enquiry into other routes. This paper characterises and analyses operations of two UK organisations that facilitate the resale of used electrical and electronic equipment in order to establish how levels of reuse may be increased. It discusses findings from semi-structured interviews with senior representatives from the organisations and makes recommendations for reuse networks that could manage waste streams more effectively. The paper illustrates how different business approaches can make a significant contribution to tackling waste and implementing the circular economy.