Reuse

Reuse is often more ecological then recycling or waste disposal. Reuse is applicable only to durable goods, not consumable goods and is often referred to as 2nd hand.

There are businesses focused only on reused goods and businesses that accept used products as trade-in that will give you a discount for a partially used up product. It's up to the consumer to inquire about what will happen to a trade-in product. Some may be sold on, some may be recycled and some may wind up in a trash pile

In the 2nd hand business there are many kinds of operatives. Some have skilled employees that do maintenance on the reusable products and may even give a limited warranty for the product. Others might just give inaccurate information on the quality and durability of the goods.

When considering reusing a product the consumer must remember that the protection of law often differs from that in purchasing unused products.

One should remember that there are hazards in reuse such as electrical devices that have been modified improperly which may cause electrical fires or other hazards.