Context: What is circularity?
At its core, circularity means that materials and products are reused, repaired, and recycled. The goal is a closed-loop system, where products at the end of their lifecycle are not discarded as waste, but re-enter a new cycle as valuable resources.
When you translate this mindset into an economic system, you get the circular economy — a system designed to maximise the reusability of products and resources while minimising the destruction of value.
This approach preserves the value of raw materials, reduces the need for virgin resource extraction, and limits waste production. It contrasts with the traditional linear economy, where materials are extracted, used, and ultimately discarded as waste.
In the circular economy, the focus is on extending product life, reducing the use of natural resources, and making better use of existing materials and products. The R-ladder is a practical tool within this system and goes beyond the well-known principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle.
The R-ladder: What are the steps?
According to the Dutch Government’s Circular Economy Programme, the R-ladder consists of six levels, from R1 to R6. Each rung on the ladder represents a strategy to help reduce raw material consumption.
The higher up the R-ladder, the lower the use of raw materials. Let’s walk through each level, starting with the most impactful.
Before the use phase – Avoiding unnecessary consumption
R1 and R2 both occur before the use phase and aim to reduce consumption — and with it, production. These strategies have the greatest impact on lowering raw material usage.
R1. Refuse and Rethink
At the top of the ladder is avoiding unnecessary products and materials: using fewer resources by producing and consuming less, or by redesigning products to require fewer materials.
Companies can do this by eliminating non-essential features or fulfilling functions in radically different ways. It can also mean using products more intensively.
Sharing platforms are a good example. Instead of owning a car that sits idle 95% of the time, you use a car-sharing service. You refuse product ownership in favour of access to its function (transport).
R2. Reduce
This step focuses on optimising resource use — for instance, by minimising raw material consumption during production and product use. By simply using less, we reduce our environmental footprint.
Example: a jeans manufacturer uses a new dyeing process that requires 80% less water. The jeans are also designed with less excess fabric and fewer buttons, reducing material use.
As a consumer, you might reduce laundry detergent use, resulting in buying less detergent overall.
Use phase
The next two rungs occur during the product use phase, focusing on extending a product’s life before it’s discarded.
R3. Reuse
Reusing extends product life. Give discarded but still-functional items a second life with a new user — sell, donate, or bring them to a charity shop. Manufacturers can contribute by designing for longevity.
Choosing the right products helps too. A catering company delivers meals in sturdy, reusable containers. These are collected, cleaned, and reused with the next delivery.
R4. Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture, Repurpose
Extend product life by repairing, refurbishing, or remanufacturing. If the whole product can’t be reused, its parts might be used for something else.
Example: Replace the wheels on your broken office chair (Repair), or reupholster it if the fabric tears (Refurbish).
To support this, products must be designed with repair and refurbishment in mind.
End-of-life
R5. Recycle
Recycling turns waste into new raw materials. Though a popular circular strategy, it ranks relatively low on the ladder. That’s because most of the energy and labour invested in the original product is lost and must be reinvested to create something new from the recycled material.
Example: A soft drink company produces new PET bottles from collected and shredded old ones. While the plastic is reused, material losses still occur.
Read a comparison between virgin plastics and recycled plastics.
R6. Recover
The final option — for materials that can no longer be reused in higher-value ways. Energy recovery through incineration captures the energy left in the material to generate electricity or heat. From a circular standpoint, this is the least desirable route, as the material itself is lost.
Conclusion: From insight to impact
The R-ladder is more than a checklist; it offers a strategic lens on circularity, pushing us to look beyond recycling alone. Its foundation lies in two essential pillars of a circular future: behaviour and design.
Behaviour concerns the choices we make — as consumers and producers. Do we really need this product? Can we share a function instead of owning a product? These questions strike at the core of Refuse and Rethink.
Design is the producer’s responsibility. How do we create products that use fewer resources, are made for repair, and can be easily reused or disassembled at end of life?
Responsibility is shared across the entire value chain. Each rung of the ladder presents an opportunity to preserve value, reduce environmental impact, and build innovative business models. This transition is driven as much by boardroom decisions as by consumer choices.
Where to start?
Would you like to know where to begin as a company and what decisions will help you reduce raw material use and create circular products? The key lies in data.
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) reveals the exact impact of your product or service. It provides objective insight into the ‘hotspots’ across your value chain — from resource extraction to disposal. With this knowledge, you can start building a data-driven sustainability strategy that truly makes a difference.
Want to know more? Visit our LCA page or get in touch with our sustainability experts.
