Today, we want to talk about a key concept within the circular economy: reusable materials and, ultimately, reuse.

Often, when we think of sustainability, recycling takes center stage, and both reduction and reuse become the 'poor siblings' of the well-known 3R strategy (reduce-reuse-recycle). However, reuse has transformative potential that deserves exploration and is, furthermore, a circular strategy that generates a greater positive impact than recycling by extending the useful life of products. After all, most of the resources from our valorization platform find a new home in another company that wants to reuse them.

The reuse of materials is not only an environmentally responsible practice but also a unique opportunity to reinvent business models and create greater economic value.

The difference between recycled and reused 

Before highlighting reusable materials, we find it important to clarify the concepts of 'reuse' and 'recycling.'

Why is this distinction important? Because although both approaches are part of the circular economy, their environmental, energy, and economic impacts are different.

The two key ideas to remember are:

  • Recycling: Transforms materials to give them a new shape, with the associated energy expenditure and possible loss of the raw materials' properties. For example, melting plastic to manufacture new packaging.
  • Reuse: Keeps the object or material as it is, giving it a new life without going through an intensive industrial process. For instance, imagine a plastic box used to transport oranges that is listed on our platform and ends up being employed in a mechanical workshop to organize tools.

As you can see, reuse not only extends the useful life of products but also disrupts the linear extract-produce-dispose cycle. This practice is crucial for conserving resources and reducing waste, as it avoids the energy consumption associated with recycling and minimizes environmental impact.

Reusable assets in construction, industry, and logistics

The reuse of materials is feasible across multiple activities and productive sectors. However, to focus the article and highlight the potential of reusable materials, we have chosen three specific areas we are familiar with: construction, logistics, and machinery and industrial equipment.

Construction can also be circular 

The construction sector is one where the reuse of materials has enormous potential to transform the industry towards more sustainable models.

With proper dismantling, materials such as beams, bricks, modular panels, wood, doors, windows, etc., can be reused in new buildings. In fact, the use of reusable materials in this sector has been one of the pillars of the European project HOUSEFUL.

And if you're thinking that these kinds of practices always remain theoretical and rarely get implemented, let us introduce you to Resource Rows (see photograph), a project of 92 homes in Copenhagen, Denmark, built using wood, windows, and even bricks salvaged from a demolished Carlsberg brewery.

Additionally, in Rotterdam, the construction of a circular environmental park is planned, where buildings will be built with materials recovered from a dismantled laboratory in Delft.

Logistics: a sector that knows how to reuse materials 

If you are familiar with our resource valorization platform, you will have seen that we have a multitude of resources, such as boxes and crates of various sizes or plastic and wooden pallets, seeking a new owner.

Mostly, although some show signs of previous use, these are perfectly usable materials that retain their ability to transport, organize, or classify. They can even be used in emergency situations, as demonstrated during the DANA (isolated high-altitude depression) that affected Paiporta in October 2024.

Moreover, many companies are opting to use reusable packaging.

Machinery and industrial equipment: remanufacturing as a way to reuse materials 

Another resource you can find on our platform is used machinery and industrial equipment.

This machinery is fully functional as is, meeting the needs of different companies. However, one of the most common practices is remanufacturing.

This practice goes a step further than simple reuse, as the standardized process applied to the machinery or equipment allows them to be restored to a state equal to or even superior to their original condition

Remanufacturing, as highlighted by the REMACOMPIND project, is one of the fields with the greatest growth potential, with 197 companies identified as having remanufacturing potential in the Basque Autonomous Community alone.

“Machinery sector executives expect remanufacturing to reduce costs by 20% to 60% [...]. In the next 5 to 10 years, we believe the value created by new material models could account for up to 20% of revenues.” Machinery and Equipment: The Circular Path to Value. Bain & Company, 2024

In fact, there are already companies recovering their own equipment to repair or remanufacture it. What is the goal? To create a new business model and provide better service to their current customers by meeting their needs with equipment delivered swiftly and at a lower cost. Additionally, this strategy allows them to reach new customers for whom this type of refurbished equipment fits their budgets.

One example is the collaboration we developed with Ingersoll Rand for the recovery of a compressor from a sustainable dismantling process.

New business models linked to reuse 

The use of reusable materials drives the development of new business models like the remanufacturing described above.

However, there are other options worth mentioning:

  • Upcycling or creative reuse, which is making its way into fashion and decoration.
  • Remanufacturing and refurbishing, which restore products to extend their useful life and are common in sectors such as electronics and the automotive industry.
  • Reuse of components, for equipment that cannot be fully reused but contains valuable and intact components suitable for repairs, for instance.
  • Resource recovery, which involves advanced recycling to reintegrate valuable materials into production processes.

What environmental and economic impacts does material reuse have? 

As mentioned earlier, reuse has a lower impact than recycling.

From an environmental standpoint, reuse:

  • Extends the useful life of products
  • Minimizes waste generation
  • Reduces raw material consumption
  • Lowers greenhouse gas emissions

And from an economic perspective, reuse:

  • Creates new markets
  • Reduces operational costs
  • Enhances business competitiveness

Reusable materials: a new culture of resource utilization

Material reuse is not just a responsible practice. It is also an economic opportunity. However, unlocking its full potential requires promoting innovative business models alongside clear regulatory policies that incentivize the transition to a circular economy.

Reuse is no longer an option, it has become a necessity. It offers us the chance to rethink how we design, use, and manage resources in the 21st century, promoting a more sustainable, resilient, and competitive future.

The question is no longer whether we should act, but how to do so effectively to maximize the value of the resources we already have.