What is the difference between REUSING and RECYCLING in Environmental Management ??

Reusing is when a waste is used without chaning the property of the waste.

Recycling is when a part of the waste or the entire waste property os changed to be used for some other consumption purpose.

 

Eg:Reuse pepsi/coke bottles after drinking the content for storing water is reusing whereas changing the entire bottle content to plastics to be used for some other purpose is recycling.

To distinguish the two here is my own personal opinion based on my experience

Re-use- Waste useful for another use. (example blowdown wastewater from cooling tower used for irrigation)

Recycling- Waste to be returned back to the same use (example: wastewater returned to the same cooling water and so on)

Key Difference: The concept of reuse is when a product that is newly purchased is put to another use after the first use is completed. Recycling is processing of used materials (waste) into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials.

"For most people, the terms “reuse” and “recycle” are one and the same. however, the terms have different meanings in the eco-friendly movement. When you use the term reuse, you utilize the product/item in its original form, often with just a little parts repair and/or replacement to make it fit to be used again by other individuals. On the other hand, to recycle means to destroy the item/product so as to scavenge the parts that can be used to produce new items." quoted from : green life Web page

Reusing is repurposing, finding a new use for something otherwise useless. It doesn't involve the change of the product, just finding new use for it. Recycling involves change the product in order to create a new one.

 

As an example, reusing a bottle might be incorporating it in the walls of a house in order to let light in. Recycling a bottle means shredding it, re-fusing it, and creating a glass for a house