Preparing for reuse means to check, clean and repair items to make them reusable. This is a key way of slowing material loops down, because it keeps the product usable for its original purpose and maintains a high value for longer.

Preparing for reuse can take several forms:
- Maintenance means to keep the product in good condition, usually by the same owner
- Refurbish means to clean, repair and replace parts as needed to make the product functional again before it goes to a new owner
- Remanufacture takes parts of a used product to reuse them in a new product. When it is remanufactured, a product is ‘born again’, and is not just in good working order, but is more similar to a new item.