Reuse

Affordability

Reusing equipment or supplies generally results in cost savings and often just takes a little creativity to find other uses for a given item. Buying second hand items can be substantially more affordable than buying new.

Cost savings

Reuse can also boost a business’ bottom line through lower production costs and reduced overhead on new equipment and supplies.

A Metro Vancouver case study reported some ways that TELUS has implemented the Reuse principles into its operations to save money and resources:

• The sale of used and surplus equipment and recycling initiatives generated $5.3 million in 2003, a 10 % increase over 2002.
• Telephone sets – 184,000 cellular phones were repaired, refurbished or recycled and 88,946 telephones were repaired or refurbished.

Environmental considerations

Reuse conserves valuable natural resources, reduces water and air pollution and greenhouse gases.

What you need to know

• Implement the reuse principal into your business’ Sustainable Purchasing Policy.
• Lease equipment instead of buying it. You avoid disposal issues this way.
• Before buying new, check product reviews online to investigate potential repair costs. Avoid items that are not durable, break down easily, and may soon need to be disposed of and replaced. Seek items that are repairable and proven to have good service lives. (If these items cost more up front, consider the lifecycle cost.
• Use remanufactured office equipment.
• Use refilled or rebuilt fax and printer cartridges.
• Reuse corrugated moving boxes internally. If you have outgoing shipments, check what size and nature of incoming boxes and packaging materials your company receives and see if you can use them again for outgoing purposes.
• Consider seeking out a nearby business that needs boxes for its outgoing shipping needs and see if you can provide them with the boxes you gain on incoming shipments.
• Reuse office equipment and supplies such as interoffice envelopes and file folders.
• Use reusable dishes, glasses and cups.
• Set up a reuse centre in the office where employees can pick up unwanted binders, stationary supplies, etc. for use at home.
• Design a reuse bulletin board where employees can post ‘free’, ‘for sale’ or ‘wanted’ ads for specific items.
• Give away old copies of journals, newspapers and magazines to interested organizations or staff.

Taking it further

Materials exchange

• Waste exchange or materials exchange is using a waste product from one process as a raw material for another. This practice avoids the environmental and financial costs of disposing of the waste and obtaining new raw material. See RCBC’s BC Industrial Materials Exchange website for more information about how to reduce your commercial waste and exchange your used materials for free.

Donations

• Sell or give old furniture and equipment to employees or donate it to a local charity. There are many organizations that will refurbish computer equipment for use by non-profit groups or others.
• Donate unused supplies to local schools or nonprofit organizations.
• Donate excess building materials to local low-income housing developers.

FAQ

Do remanufactured printer cartridges perform as well as new original equipment manufacturer (OEM) cartridges?
Yes. Remanufactured cartridges are tested for damages and repairs and print quality. The specifications for quality and reliability are expected to meet or exceed OEM specifications.

Will using recycled or remanufactured cartridges void my printer warranty?
No. The use of remanufactured or recycled cartridges alone does not affect the warranty or maintenance contract on any OEM printer.