The 6 Rs

The 6 Rs are an important checklist. They are used by designers to reduce the environmental impact of products. They can also be used to evaluate the environmental impact of other products. The 6Rs stand for:

• Reduce -is it possible to reduce the amount of materials used? This will help to protect valuable resources.
• Rethink - is there a better way to solve this problem that is less damaging to the environment?
• Refuse - this means not accepting things that are not the best option for the environment. For example, is the packaging really needed?
• Recycle - could recycled materials be used, or is the product made from materials that are easy to recycle?
• Reuse - could the product have another use? Could its parts be used in other products? Is this information clearly communicated on the product? This will extend its life.
• Repair - is the product easy to repair? This will extend its life.