Collective effort is required. Including comprehensive public awareness campaigns, policy incentives that promote reusable alternatives, and collaboration between governments, industries, and consumers to foster a more sustainable and environmentally conscious mindset.

Another way to reduce waste is by adopting a more sustainable lifestyle. For instance, choosing more durable and long-lasting goods will prevent waste accumulation from our everyday use. One of the most common ways to achieve this is by avoiding single-use plastic items.

On a larger scale, waste reduction strategies can be applied on business systems as waste prevention strategies. Employing waste prevention strategies can effectively reduce the volume of waste that must be managed, placing less strain on local waste collection and management programs. Waste prevention includes Avoidance – eliminating the need for a product or material; Source Reduction – eliminating waste and pollution at source through process changes; and Direct Re-use/Prolonging Use – extending product life, serving as a diversion of waste flows.

Reuse extends product and material life-cycles, to reduce the waste stream. Innovative reuse models can unlock significant benefits, enabled by digital technologies and shifting user preferences. Such models can help deliver a superior user experience, customize products to individual needs, gather user insights, build brand loyalty, optimize operations, and save costs.