13 July 2026

Theme: Earth’s resources – Part 5/7:

The Resource Hierarchy:
Five steps toward smarter resource use.

To prioritize effectively and make the right decisions, it is important to understand what creates the greatest impact. The resource hierarchy is a useful way to build understanding of how different actions affect climate impact, resource use, and waste.

The hierarchy is divided into five levels. The higher up you go, the greater the positive impact; for the environment, the economy, and people. Here is a brief overview of the five levels, starting from the top:

Level 1: Avoid
Do not use resources at all unless absolutely necessary. With good design, the need for resources can be minimized, and with a well-thought-out business model, processes and production solutions can be developed to avoid negative impact as much as possible.

Level 2: Minimize
Optimize the use of resources and ensure that only the minimum necessary resources are used as efficiently as possible.

Level 3: Restore
Restore, reinvest, and recover are key concepts. Giving products new life through repair, refurbishment, and renewal.

Level 4: Regenerate
Create new value by reusing products and materials, ensuring that materials are utilized for as long as possible. Strengthen and rebuild more than what is extracted by choosing materials that actively contribute to restoring ecosystems and biodiversity, and that improve long-term resource management.

Level 5: Neutralize
To manage what remains of unavoidable impact, potential harm can be prevented and negative effects minimized. For impacts that cannot be avoided, we work with clear requirements and complementary measures that can be tracked and followed up.

The resource hierarchy is one of several tools and mental models we use to prioritize actions that improve resource efficiency and strengthen our climate efforts. It is a way to stay ahead, working proactively instead of reacting after something has already happened that could have been avoided.

Would you like to know more about our sustainability efforts, or have questions? Don’t hesitate to contact me. I might not have all the answers, but I’ll do my best. You can reach me at jan.domelid@mousetrapper.com, +46 703 25 11 90