Restating the Case for Remanufacturing

I read with interest recently how governments across the globe finally reached some sort of agreement at the UN Conference on Climate Change in Durban, South Africa. That such a large group of countries, with such diverse sets economic, cultural and governmental concerns, could see that action was necessary highlights the importance of sustainability for all of us. But being sustainable is not just an altruistic endeavor, it is simply good business. Even in these tough economic times, businesses can use sustainability initiatives to drive profits.

At its root, achieving sustainability means businesses must use less of the earth’s resources to create their products and services, and embracing remanufacturing as part of the business plan is a key way to do this. According to research by Dr. Rolf Steinhilper of Bayreuth University in Bayreuth, Germany, remanufacturing could avoid between 38 percent and 53 percent of the CO2 that is generated from producing a new component.

Not only does remanufacturing reduce energy consumption by restoring a part to as-new condition, it also plays a significant role in correcting any early design flaws that could have caused a part to fail – thus potentially extending its life even further and again saving the resources that otherwise would have had to go into producing a new part. Moreover, modern remanufacturing processes upgrade the part to the manufacturer’s most recent specification, ensuring that it conforms to the latest environmental standards, and scarce resources that can be lost in traditional recycling operations could also be recovered during remanufacturing.

Over the past couple of months I have spent a lot of time talking about these issues to businesses and government representatives. In September, the Reman Summit in Washington, DC gave me the opportunity to speak with a number of US government leaders about the important role the remanufacturing industry plays in both the economy and sustainability.

In early October I met with business people from around the world at the APPEX exhibition in Las Vegas. I was pleased to see that a lot of them are already using remanufacturing to improve their balance sheets and their environmental performance.

Events such as the Reman Summit and APPEX give our industry the opportunity to press home the environmental and cost advantages of remanufacturing to businesses and regulators. While I was encouraged that so many of the government representatives and business leaders I met already have such a comprehensive understanding of the reman industry, I realized that there is much more work to be done.

Governments and businesses around the world need to recognize that our industry adds value through resource recovery and by reducing emissions and creating jobs. I hope that as the benefits of remanufacturing become more widely known, it will encourage governments to create a common definition for remanufacturing that eliminates trade barriers to remanufactured goods.

Only then can our customers take advantage of the full range of economic and environmental benefits that remanufacturing can provide.

If you’d like to share your views on the future of remanufacturing, contact Joe directly at joe.kripli@wabco-reman.com

Readmore >>