In reading an article in the January 24, 2011 edition of the Wall Street Journal by James R.Hagerty and Paul Glader about US manufacturers refurbishing used maufactured goods I wondered is this a form of Upcycling?
Here's a little background on refurbishing:
It is estimated that a $100 billion of remanufactured goods are sold each year in the U.S. and more than 500,000 people are employed in the industry, according to Nabil Nasr, who heads the Center for Remanufacturing at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, N.Y. For many years the auto parts have been rebuilt and resold, along with various kinds of machinery parts and motors. But manufacturers are now now extending remanufacturing to a wide list of used items, including computers and home appliances.
The firms involved in remanufacturing say it is a highly profitable business that affords customers lower costs products and helps the environment by reducing waste, energy, the use of new materials and creates jobs. The article quotes Trent Simpson, a product manager at Caterpillar, the construction and mining-equipment company which remanufactures engines and parts for a variety of machines."Customers, business and the environment all win," Mr. Simpson said.
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Remanufacturing also makes sense economically since it is a processes that extend the life of raw materials such as copper, steel and other commodities.This process also helps enforce environmental legislation requiring companies to seek production methods that use less energy and leave less waste. In fact, many U.S. states have passed or are considering legislation requiring manufacturers of electronic equipment to take used goods back for recycling or other kinds or reuse. Those laws facilitate remanufacturing because they create more reliable ways of gathering used products, which otherwise might be dispersed in landfills. They also address the shortages of rare earth minerals due to the Chinese Governments control and quotas on exports of these minerals. Remanufacturing could also help companies meet any future limits on their emissions of so-called greenhouse gases.
I think the bottom line is not whether or not remanufacturing is Upcycling but that any nurturing of the "Industry of the Used" is a win/win for everyone economically, environmentally and sustainably!
I look forward to your comments on my posting,
For more on remanufacturing please read the original article at WSJ.com - From Trash Heap to Store Shelf*
This article will be available to non-subscribers of the Online Journal for up to seven days after it is e-mailed.
Here's a little background on refurbishing:
It is estimated that a $100 billion of remanufactured goods are sold each year in the U.S. and more than 500,000 people are employed in the industry, according to Nabil Nasr, who heads the Center for Remanufacturing at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, N.Y. For many years the auto parts have been rebuilt and resold, along with various kinds of machinery parts and motors. But manufacturers are now now extending remanufacturing to a wide list of used items, including computers and home appliances.
The firms involved in remanufacturing say it is a highly profitable business that affords customers lower costs products and helps the environment by reducing waste, energy, the use of new materials and creates jobs. The article quotes Trent Simpson, a product manager at Caterpillar, the construction and mining-equipment company which remanufactures engines and parts for a variety of machines."Customers, business and the environment all win," Mr. Simpson said.
.
Remanufacturing also makes sense economically since it is a processes that extend the life of raw materials such as copper, steel and other commodities.This process also helps enforce environmental legislation requiring companies to seek production methods that use less energy and leave less waste. In fact, many U.S. states have passed or are considering legislation requiring manufacturers of electronic equipment to take used goods back for recycling or other kinds or reuse. Those laws facilitate remanufacturing because they create more reliable ways of gathering used products, which otherwise might be dispersed in landfills. They also address the shortages of rare earth minerals due to the Chinese Governments control and quotas on exports of these minerals. Remanufacturing could also help companies meet any future limits on their emissions of so-called greenhouse gases.
I think the bottom line is not whether or not remanufacturing is Upcycling but that any nurturing of the "Industry of the Used" is a win/win for everyone economically, environmentally and sustainably!
I look forward to your comments on my posting,
For more on remanufacturing please read the original article at WSJ.com - From Trash Heap to Store Shelf*
This article will be available to non-subscribers of the Online Journal for up to seven days after it is e-mailed.
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