Take, make, use, discard. Every device follows that path unless something specific intervenes, and the three interventions available are not equally strong.
The linear path, and three interventions ranked by how close each gets to the manufacturing stage.
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| Intervention | What it does | How strong |
|---|---|---|
| Longer use | Repair, parts and updates keep a device working | Strongest — it reaches manufacturing |
| Second owner | Refurbishment serves two owners from one build | Strong — one build, two uses |
| Recover materials | Recycling returns metals to the chain | Weakest — acts after the emissions |
The ranking rule: Rank an intervention by how close it gets to the making stage, because that is where most of the footprint is. Anything acting at disposal is acting after the cost has already been paid.
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Real-world examples you can name
Precision agriculture and the right to repair — memorandum of understanding with US farmers January 2023
Tractors guided by GPS apply seed and spray field by field, cutting inputs. Because the software is locked, farmers could not repair their own machines; after years of pressure the manufacturer agreed to make tools and manuals available.
Who it affected: Farmers whose harvest window does not wait for an authorized technician.
Agbogbloshie e-waste site, Accra — scrapyard cleared July 2021
A scrapyard where imported electronics were stripped and cables burned to recover copper, releasing lead and dioxins. It became the standard example of e-waste exported from rich countries to poor ones. Authorities demolished much of the site in 2021; the trade moved rather than stopped.
Who it affected: Workers and nearby residents exposed to heavy metals and smoke.
The EU Artificial Intelligence Act — agreed December 2023; entered into force August 2024, phased to 2027
The first broad law to regulate AI by risk. Some uses are banned outright, such as untargeted scraping of facial images and social scoring by public authorities; high-risk uses in areas like hiring and education carry duties for data quality, documentation and human oversight.
Who it affected: Anyone deploying AI systems in the EU, and users subject to those systems.
Why devices are replaced early
- Support ends while the device still works, which makes it unsafe to keep using.
- Batteries are glued in, so replacement costs close to a new device.
- Parts and manuals are unavailable, so independent repair is impossible even where somebody is willing.
- Software locks tie repair to the manufacturer, which is the arrangement the right-to-repair dispute over John Deere tractors (agreement with US farmers, 2023) was fought over.
Responsible use, in the guide's words
Consumption
Buying less and keeping devices longer.
Production
Designing products to be repaired and recycled.
Distribution
Planning deliveries and stock to cut waste.
Shared infrastructure
Designing energy, transport and buildings for responsible use, such as smart meters and shared bikes.
How this is tested — this is the most direct Paper 3 topic in the unit: rank the options, then defend one. It comes up two ways:
Paper 1 Section B — extended response
- Extended response on sustainable resource use
- Concepts — systems, values — named explicitly
Paper 3 — the intervention paper
- Recommend an intervention for a described product or sector
- Justify the ranking that led to your choice
The trap: recycling first: Recycling is the most popular and the weakest. If you recommend it, say why the two stronger interventions were unavailable.
Explain one reason why recycling is a weaker intervention than repair.
Model answer plan
See the answer broken into clear points, with guidance on how each point earns marks.
Recommend one intervention to reduce the resource cost of consumer electronics, and justify it.
Model answer plan
See the answer broken into clear points, with guidance on how each point earns marks.