The 9R strategies: how to keep products and materials in the loop

A circular business model is based, among other things, on waste prevention, maximizing usage intensity across multiple product life cycles, and extending the use of materials in each cycle. Strategies have been developed to implement these circular principles. The 9R strategies is a framework widely used for illustrating these approaches. This blog post aims to introduce the framework and illustrate each strategy with an example.

The R strategies derive their names from the initial letters of the respective strategies. The prefix “re” originates from Latin (meaning “again” or “back”) and stands for ‘new’ or “renewed.” There is no consensus in the scientific community on how many R-strategies can be assigned to the framework. Consequently, the number of R-strategies varies between three and ten depending on the publication.

The 9R framework, introduced by Potting et al. (2017) and published by Kirchherr et al. (2017), classifies strategies according to their degree of circularity (Fig. 1). A higher degree of circularity in materials within a product chain indicates that these materials can be kept in the cycle longer and, after the product is disposed of, can preferably be reused with their original quality. This reduces the demand for natural resources in production.

Accordingly, the 9R Framework illustrates that a higher-priority R strategy leads to lower environmental impacts during the production of a product, as the demand for primary materials for production decreases. However, this statement must be verified for each specific case. Although the demand for primary materials decreases, this reduction may, under certain circumstances, be offset by increased costs in the recovery and recycling system. Therefore, deviations from this rule of thumb may occur. Nevertheless, this rule of thumb can generally be used as a guideline.

Fig.1: 9R Framework

In general, the 9R strategies can be divided into three groups: Strategies R0 through R2 aim to avoid or reduce the use of raw materials in production. This is achieved by making products unnecessary, as their functions can be provided by other means. In addition, raw material consumption can be reduced through smarter product manufacturing and use. In this way, the same overall benefit for customers can be ensured using fewer raw materials.

Strategies R3 through R7 aim to extend the lifespan of existing raw materials that are already present in the form of products within the economic system. With the help of reuse or recycling systems for products or their parts, the benefit can be achieved without extracting additional raw materials.

As the last-resort strategies, R8 and R9 can be used when strategies R0 through R7 are no longer applicable to recover raw materials from products or product parts that can no longer be used. In this process, the components are disassembled or recycled. By recovering secondary raw materials, the extraction of new raw materials from the environment can be reduced.

Fig. 2: 9R strategies

To illustrate the individual R strategies (Fig. 2), they are demonstrated using a T-shirt as an example.

R0 Refuse: The product is rendered unnecessary by discontinuing its function or by offering the same function through a completely different product.

There is no need to buy a new T-shirt if there is no real need for one.

R1 Rethink: Smarter/more intensive use of products.

The T-shirt can be rented for a limited time on a sharing platform and thus used more intensively and by multiple customers over a longer period.

R2 Reduce: Increasing efficiency in product manufacturing or use through lower consumption of natural resources and materials.

Using renewable and biodegradable materials instead of fossil-based materials in textile production saves energy and protects the environment.

R3 Reuse: Reuse of a product that is still in good condition and fulfills its original function by another user.

The T-shirt can be purchased at a thrift store, flea market, or online marketplace instead of buying it new.

R4 Repair: Repairing and maintaining a defective product so it can be used for its original purpose.

The T-shirt can be repaired, for example by sewing up holes or mending seams, instead of throwing it away when it shows signs of wear.

R5 Refurbish: Restore an old or used product and bring it up to date.

The T-shirt can be professionally cleaned to remove stains and refresh its color, for example, making it look like new again.

R6 Remanufacture: Use parts from a discarded product in a new product with the same function.

Individual fabric pieces from the T-shirt that are still in good condition can be used in the production of new T-shirts.

R7 Repurpose: Using the discarded product or its parts in a new product with a different function.

Damaged T-shirts, for example, can be used as cleaning rags.

R8 Recycle: Processing materials to maintain the same (high-quality) or a lower (lower-quality) standard.

When a T-shirt reaches the end of its lifespan, it can be recycled by breaking it down into its fibers and processing them into new textiles or other products.

It is important to note that recycling options are already determined by the product design.

R9 Recover: Incineration of materials with energy recovery.

In waste-to-energy plants, textiles that are no longer usable are incinerated, thereby recovering energy from this waste.

Various value chains should be reevaluated based on these 9R strategies and, where necessary, restructured to make them more resource-efficient and thus contribute to a circular economy.

If you want to dive deeper and explore further circular economy tools and frameworks, we recommend you to keep on reading and check out our blog posts about the Value Hill, the Butterfly Model and the APV Framework.

Written by Lotte Lehtovuori

Sources:

1. Kirchherr, Julian; Reike, Denise; Hekkert, Marko (2017): Conceptualizing the circular economy: An analysis of 114 definitions. In: Resources, Conservation and Recycling 127, S. 221–232.

1. Potting, José; Worrell, Ernst; Hekkert, M. P. (2017): Circular Economy: Measuring innovation in the product chain. Hg. v. PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. The Hague.