The third category, Value Recovery, involves the post-use phase of a product. These business models generate revenue by capturing the value from used products (formerly known as waste or by-products). Value Recovery involves using recaptured materials, providing refurbished products, selling second hand products, and facilitating remanufacturing and recycling. These business strategies correspond to resource recovery (Accenture 2014), the gap exploiter model (Bakker et al., 2014), extending product value (Bocken et al., 2016) and waste value models (Stegeman 2015).

Example Value Recovery: Recover-E

RECAPTURE E-WASTE Recover-E recaptures used ICT equipment from businesses and private users. The products are cleaned and refurbished, their software is updated and the equipment is re-marketed. Products can be returned for a buyback price that depends on the state of the equipment.

TRACK & TRACE The Recover-E Program works with a track and trace system that provides an overview of ICT equipment and its component parts at every stage of the product's lifecycle, from initial purchase to end-of-life. Through this system product and waste flows can be optimised.

SHARED RESPONSIBILITY By involving everyone from product owner and user, to recoverer and recycler, there is no waste. Instead, transparency is increased throughout the chain by encouraging each player to contribute to and take responsibility for the solution.