Environmental Implications of Reuse: A Case Study of Electrical and Electronic Devices in Slovenia

This study assesses the environmental implications of reusing used electrical and electronic equipment (UEEE) in Slovenia. Reuse operations at four centres Ponovne Uporabe were analysed by integrating material flow analysis with a simplified life cycle assessment approach. Four scenarios were evaluated: S1 (optimistic reuse), S2 (conservative reuse), S3 (no reuse), and S4 (full reuse), each varying in allocation of materials to reuse, recycling, and incineration, as well as in the assumed reuse effectiveness. The results show that S4 (full reuse) achieved the highest emissions reduction of 7.87 kg CO2-eq per kg of material input, highlighting the substantial environmental benefits of reuse over recycling. Optimistic reuse (S1), which assumes full substitution, also yields significant environmental benefits of 7.82 kg CO2-eq per kg of material input. In contrast, S3 (the no-reuse scenario), in which materials are diverted mainly to recycling, results in an emission reduction of 5.2 kg CO2-eq per kg of material input. S2 (conservative reuse), applying a conservative reuse factor, shows the lowest emission avoided at 4.1 kg CO2-eq per kg of material input. Although based in Slovenia, this study offers transferable insights for countries aiming to scale reuse systems. The results highlight that maximizing environmental benefits within the circular economy model requires system supports, including design for reuse, durability, reparability, effective preparation for reuse operations, supportive policy frameworks and adequate financial and infrastructural capacity.