AQA · GCSE · Chemistry
Course version: 8462 · Version from Sept 2018
Some products, such as glass bottles, can be reused.
Full specification wording
Ways of reducing the use of resources: Some products, such as glass bottles, can be reused.
Reuse means using a product again for the same purpose without changing its chemical or physical form.
Checked against the AQA 8462 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 5 of 11
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Reuse means using a product again for the same purpose without changing its chemical or physical form. A glass bottle is the classic example: after washing, it can be refilled with another drink and returned to the shelf. This keeps the material in use and avoids the energy, raw materials and waste linked to making a new bottle. Reuse is not the same as recycling, because the bottle is not crushed, melted or chemically reprocessed. The key idea is that the product itself, not just its material, is used again. Reuse is often described as reducing resource use because fewer new products are manufactured. It also cuts the waste sent to landfill. A milk bottle returned to a depot and refilled is a familiar everyday example.
What earns the marks
- Reuse means using a product again for the same purpose without changing its form.
- A glass bottle can be washed and refilled, so the bottle itself is used again.
- Reuse avoids the energy and raw materials needed to make a new product.
- Reuse reduces waste because fewer products are discarded after one use.
- Reuse differs from recycling because the material is not crushed, melted or chemically reprocessed.
- Reuse is one way of reducing the use of resources such as glass, metal and oil-based plastics.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Treating reuse and recycling as the same process.
Put it right: Reuse keeps the product intact, while recycling breaks the material down and makes it into something new.
Assuming reuse always means melting the product.
Put it right: Melting is a recycling step, not reuse.
Thinking reuse applies only to glass.
Put it right: Reusable bags, containers and bottles are also examples.
Exam tips
- Define reuse clearly before giving the glass bottle example.
- Contrast reuse with recycling in one sentence to show the difference.
- Link reuse to reduced energy use, reduced raw material use and less waste.
- Use the phrase 'same purpose' when describing reuse.
Try the lesson
The start of the Ways of reducing the use of resources: Some products, such as glass bottles, can be reused. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which statement describes what is meant by reusing a glass bottle?
Listen
Reuse means using a product again for the same purpose without changing its chemical or physical form. A glass bottle is the classic example: after washing, it can be refilled with another drink and returned to the shelf. This keeps the material in use and avoids the energy, raw materials and waste linked to making a new bottle. Reuse is not the same as recycling, because the bottle is not crushed, melted or chemically reprocessed. The key idea is that the product itself, not just its material, is used again. Reuse is often described as reducing resource use because fewer new products are manufactured. It also cuts the waste sent to landfill. A milk bottle returned to a depot and refilled is a familiar everyday example. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Reuse means using a product again for the same purpose without changing its form. A glass bottle can be washed and refilled, so the bottle itself is used again. Reuse avoids the energy and raw materials needed to make a new product. Reuse reduces waste because fewer products are discarded after one use. A common slip: Treating reuse and recycling as the same process. Instead, reuse keeps the product intact, while recycling breaks the material down and makes it into something new. Exam tip: Define reuse clearly before giving the glass bottle example.
See it
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Reuse
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Recycling
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Reducing the use of resources
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Waste
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Reuse
- Using a product again for the same purpose without changing its chemical or physical form.
- Recycling
- Breaking the material down by crushing, melting or chemically reprocessing it and making it into something new.
- Reducing the use of resources
- Manufacturing fewer new products, which avoids the energy and raw materials needed to make them.
- Waste
- Products that are discarded after one use, some of which is sent to landfill.
Label the diagram
Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.
1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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