Part of the ?3 Rs,? reduce and reuse focus on specific aspects of the goal for waste minimization. In addition to selling unused products, there are a variety of reuse centers across the country—from schools and Goodwill programs to building organizations like Habitat for Humanity to organizations that accept and refurbish electronic equipment. Studies have shown that between 2 and 5 percent of our waste stream is potentially reusable. Reuse is often preferable to recycling since there is little reprocessing needed before it can be used again.

Even more preferable is waste reduction. It can be considered prevention in many cases because specific wastes are never created and some believe it helps to conserve resources for future generations. It is also generally more cost-effective to reduce the quantity and toxicity of waste at its source. Products are now made with far fewer raw materials, and made to be lighter and stronger through the use of plastic instead of metal. Additional measures, including product redesign, efficient packaging, and use of less toxic materials, have also played a role in reducing waste along the manufacturing stream.

Rethinking waste and redesigning processes in ways that more closely mimic natural processes is an emerging field. Industrial ecologists look at product design and the manufacturing process to discover how to prevent waste from occurring, and to develop methods of utilizing waste products as raw materials for other industries. They also attempt to analyze the flow of materials and energy in the industrial process to identify other ways to reduce the environmental and economic costs of production, use, and disposal. The research looks at the product lifecycle from the extraction of minerals and other resources to the manufacturing process through use and final disposition of the product as waste. This type of systematic reduction is called “green design.”

Recommended Resources

EPA: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
An EPA site to support the ?3 R’s,? which includes suggestions on how to reuse, as well as the benefits of composting and recycling.

Waste Prevention World
This site from the California Integrated Waste Management Board focuses on waste prevention, and finding creative ways to reduce the amount of waste that is produced both at home and at the workplace.

Industrial Ecology: The Concept
AT&T provides a brief synopsis of the concepts of industrial ecology.


EPA, Source Reduction and Reuse.