Circular Approach 'Reuse'
Reuse is utilized in the reprocessing phase and acts on a product level. It is defined as the reusing of a product, which leaves its application and user group due to failure and re-enters the same or other markets anonymously after sufficient reprocessing. The product cannot be traced to its former owner and gains a new identity.
The majority of energy and resources needed for a new production is saved, but the return flow and the reprocessing demands some work and energy. The price difference between new and reused products is therefore small, which diminishes the incentive to buy used products.1 Simplifying the quality control, encouraging standardized components and implementing a modular and adaptable design could decrease this price gap.2 The communication between the stakeholders of the different phases should be enhanced to identify opportunities for a second market early on and to enable standardizations.3
An economic value can be gained through a second application as well as a broader market share due to the availability of products with varying price and quality. 4 The value in the information provided by the return of a product is significant (compare chapter 6.1.2). It includes information about the quality after operation and specific points of failure, which can be used to improve the product. 5
References
1 Deutsches Ressourceneffizienzprogramm (ProgRess) - Programm zur nachhaltigen Nutzung und zum Schutz der natürlichen Ressourcen. Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, Bau und Reaktorsicherheit (BMU), Berlin: 2012
2 Reith, Sören: Einfluss der direkten Zweitnutzung energieintensiver Materialien auf die Energiewirtschaft - Masterthesis am Institut für Industriebetriebslehre und Industrielle Produktion Karlsruhe. Karlsruhe: KIT, 2011
3 van der Laan, Erwin Dr.: What it takes to close loops - CircularX_2015_2_1_Key_Erwin OLD in: Online-Portal: Youtube. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1SnosZ-lJI#t=61 (besucht am 07.07.2016). Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/6ioouus3t. Rotterdam: Erasmus University Rotterdam, 2015
4 van der Laan, Erwin Dr.: Environmental and customer value - Environmental and Customer Value in: Online-Portal: Youtube. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr23VdW9mNQ (besucht am 07.07.2016). Archived by WebCite® http://www.webcitation.org/6ioqEW90x. Rotterdam: Erasmus University of Rotterdam, 2015
5 van der Laan, Erwin Dr.: Informational Value - CircularX_2015_2_4_in_Erwin_3 OLD in: Online-Portal: Youtube. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFYk-nuSzU8 (besucht am 07.07.2016). Archived by WebCite® http://www.webcitation.org/6ioqVZegn. Rotterdam, Netherlands: Erasmus University of Rotterdam, 2015
