The 6 R’s P119 Not On List

Question 1

Name (in order of best to use to worst to use) the 6 R’s

Answer 1

Best:  refuse
           Rethink
          Reduce 
          Reuse
           Repair
Worst: recycle

Question 2

Define refuse

Give some examples

Answer 2

‘Is this really necessary?’
If not do not buy product / travel (co2 emissions)
Not buying saves 100%

Ie using your own shopping bag, not buying fast fashion or not needed products, walking to school instead of driving, not eating products that are over farmed

Question 3

define Rethink

Answer 3

Rethinking how the product is likely to be made (with positive impact / neutral impact on environment) the product can be redesigned in a responsible way

Ie rethink how deliver product
How to communicate to customers (paperless system)

Are the materials locally sourced
Are they sustainability sourced
Is it essential to use this material of which there is a finite supply?

Question 4

Define reduce

Answer 4

Often the result of having rethought a design or action

Modern materials that are lighter and stronger than than traditional ones have contributed to miniaturisation of products, saving material and energy

Reducing complexity
Reducing number different materials (recycling easier)

Motion sensitive lights / smart heating reduces energy usage

Question 5

Define Reuse

Answer 5

Reusing products multiple times for the same purpose (primary recycling)

Reusing product in a different way than what it was designed for is secondary recycling

Ie reusing milk bottles
Donating to and buying from charity shops - extends product life
Up cycle old products ie repaint them

Question 6

Define repair

Answer 6

Fixing a product when it is broken or worn away - extends its life, delays purchase for a new one, saves material and energy and travel costs / emissions

Create jobs
Cheaper to buy older products, more sustainable
Can be difficult to repair products

Question 7

Define recycle

Answer 7

Tertiary recycling
Takes a lot of energy to recycle materials - but not as much as making new ones

Reprocessing the materials and usually uses chemicals to recover recycled materials

Question 8

What does WEEE stand for

Answer 8

Waste
Electrical
and
Electronics 
Equipment
recycling

Question 9

What does WEEE do?

Answer 9

Governs recycling of estimated 2 million tonnes of electrical items