The Social Value of Reuse

In 2024-25, TTB Circular Solutions, funded by the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), carried out an 18-month research project exploring the Social Value created when products are reused rather than recycled or purchased new.

This study examined the real-world social value created by reuse activities in the UK resource and waste sector, using technology reuse and secure data erasure as the core case study.

The project focused on five questions:

1. How much Social Value does reuse create?

2. How do different frameworks (TOMs, HACT, LOOP) value reuse?

3. What Social Value is generated when reused devices support digital inclusion?

4. What Social Value is lost when products are recycled instead of reused?

5. How can reuse organisations report Social Value simply and consistently?

Overview

Key findings and essential insights

Reuse generates significant Social Value — far beyond environmental impact alone.

Across the sector, preparing items for reuse produced an estimated £120m–£345m in Social Value in 2023/24 (depending on the valuation framework used).

This figure only counts the value of preparing items for reuse.
It does not include the long-term value of items once they reach new users — so the true Social Value of reuse is considerably higher.

Device reuse + secure data erasure creates high Social Value.

Modelling using three recognised frameworks showed that a single year of tech reuse and secure erasure delivered:

• £656k (TOMs)

• £1.13m (LOOP)

• £19.1m (HACT)

The difference reflects what each tool values, but the underlying insight is clear: tech reuse delivers substantial Social Value, and most of it comes from putting refurbished devices into people’s hands.

The Social Value of digital inclusion is extremely high.

For beneficiaries receiving reused laptops through digital inclusion programmes, the Social Value created averaged £43k–£47k per person (HACT model).
This reflects improvements in:

• wellbeing

• financial resilience

• access to employment

• education and digital engagement

• reduced isolation

This is one of the strongest arguments for reuse as a route to social impact.

Reuse outperforms recycling AND buying new.

Compared with distributing brand new laptops, reuse delivered:

• £600k–£654k Social Value via TOMs/LOOP

• ~£15m Social Value via HACT

This demonstrates that choosing reuse over new purchase multiplies social impact, not just environmental gains.

The UK has a huge reservoir of untapped Social Value.

The study identified an estimated 20 million unused working laptops/tablets in UK homes.
If even 30% were reused for digital inclusion, the potential Social Value could exceed:
£44.7 billion (HACT model).

This represents one of the UK’s largest unrealised social impact opportunities.

The social value credit model

As part of the project, we piloted a Social Value Credit mechanism, where organisations fund the refurbishment and redistribution of devices.

Pilot results:

• Target: 10 devices

• Delivered: 60 devices

• Social Value created: £258k (HACT)

• Average Social Value per device: ~£43k

• Approximate funding per device: £500

The model proved viable and scalable, and could offer a new revenue stream for reuse organisations while helping funders meet Social Value obligations.

Where future research may be needed

The study found that existing Social Value tools underrepresented:

• value of reuse specifically (vs recycling)

• avoided purchases of new items

• creation of repair and reuse jobs

• long-term community benefits

• reduced climate anxiety

• improved access to essential tech

Developing dedicated Social Value metrics for reuse would allow councils, contractors and reuse organisations to build better business cases and report more accurately.

What this research achieved

The project delivered:

• A clear evidence base for the Social Value of reuse

• A cross-framework analysis to support transparent reporting

• A pilot Social Value Credit model

• A practical toolkit to help the reuse sector measure Social Value consistently

• Recommendations for future national Social Value standards relating to reuse and repair

Work with us

We collaborate with councils, researchers, reuse organisations and contractors to build new Social Value methodologies and apply them to real-world circular systems.