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Project title

Development of a Material Reuse Framework for Irish consumers

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

The Rediscovery Centre

Lead Applicant

Tara Singleton

Project Abstract

This project aims to review and assess the current protocols in place around the world for consumer reuse and to adapt identified best practice to Irish waste management scenarios. Although reuse and waste prevention are high in current waste and environmental policy objectives, Irish consumers have yet to move their behaviour beyond recycling to practices further up the waste hierarchy. By identifying all possible reuse scenarios available in the Irish context, this research aims to promote and facilitate reuse through the development of a user friendly online tool to assist consumers in identifying the options available to them. By identifying the reuse options available for consumers, it is expected that more consumers will avail of the potential options leading to positive behavioural change in terms of household waste management. The tool will also be of use to civic amenity site staff looking to implement a reuse strategy on their sites. By identifying all reuse scenarios in Ireland, and by applying current best practice, it should also be possible to identify the main sites where reuse statistics can be gathered to feed into national resource efficiency targets and waste statistics. This project aims to review and assess the current protocols in place around the world for consumer reuse and to adapt identified best practice to Irish waste management scenarios. The project will also produce an online interactive tool for Irish consumers to identify reuse options available to them. Expected Project Outputs: � Final report � 2 page summary report � Interactive online tool for consumers � Peer reviewed papers � Non peer reviewed publicity � Oral/poster conference presentations � Web site blogs and social media updates

Grant Approved

�50,768.00

Research Hub

Green and Circular Economy

Research Theme

Resource efficiency

Start Date

07/04/2015

Initial Projected Completion Date

06/05/2016