Diploma Programme Design Technology Practice Test

Reuse is about using the same item again, either in its original form or for a different purpose. This keeps the product in use instead of discarding it, which saves resources and energy. It can mean using the object as it is in the same context (a mug used again) or repurposing it for a new context (turning a bottle into a plant pot). This is different from repair, which fixes something broken to restore its original function; recycle, which breaks an item down to raw materials to make new products; and rebuild, which involves constructing something anew. Reuse directly captures the idea of extending the life of the product itself.