What counts
- Reusables: your own cup, bottle, bag, container or cutlery instead of single-use.
- Repair: sewing a button, patching a bike tyre, fixing a zipper, replacing a battery.
- Borrow or share: borrowing a tool from a neighbour or a library of things rather than buying.
- Pre-loved: buying secondhand clothing, furniture or electronics.
Why it matters
Making new products takes materials, water and energy, and a lot of single-use items are thrown away after minutes. Extending the life of what we own is widely considered one of the most effective ways to cut waste, and it often costs less.
Starter moves
- Carry a kit. A small tote, a bottle and a cup that live in your bag make the habit automatic.
- Repair before replacing. Search for a local repair cafe or a video guide before you bin something.
- Ask first. Before buying a tool you will use twice, ask friends, a neighbourhood group or a local lending library.
- Buy once, buy well. When you do buy new, pick durable items with spare parts available.
How GoC5 estimates it
A logged Circular Gear action is worth +50 $C5 with an example estimate of 1.5 kg CO2. This is a broad average across very different actions, so it is illustrative only.
Take it further
Browse the sample repaired and pre-loved gear credit and the gear rental perk.