Landfill diversion

Recovering the energy content of waste that cannot practically be recycled, typically by incineration with heat and power generation or by co-processing in cement kilns, where composite waste can also contribute mineral content to the clinker. In the waste hierarchy it sits above landfill but below reuse and recycling.

Material recovered from waste and reprocessed into a raw material for manufacturing, such as polymer granulate produced from post-consumer or post-industrial plastic. The quality and consistency of recyclate determine whether it can substitute virgin material in demanding applications.

An economic model that keeps products and materials in use for as long as possible through reuse, repair, remanufacture and recycling, in contrast to the linear take, make, dispose model. In materials specification it drives requirements for recycled content, design for disassembly and credible end-of-life routes.

The stage in a product's life cycle when it is removed from service and must be reused, recycled, recovered or disposed of. End-of-life scenarios are a required consideration in life cycle assessment and increasingly influence material selection for composites and roofing systems.