Remanufacturing is an integral part of the Circular Economy
Circular Economy helps us to reach the
United Nations SDGs
(UN Sustainable Development Goals)
Since the introduction of the SDGs, all member states and many organizations pursue the goals.
To accelerate the achievement of those goals, it is necessary to have a closer look on how Circular Economy (CE) approaches contribute.
CE is a system that aims to eliminate waste and minimize the use
of finite resources. By applying the core principles of CE, it supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in various ways.
Here are just some of them:
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promoting resource efficiency and reducing environmental impacts
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lowering greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing resilience to climate change
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creating new jobs and business opportunities in sectors such as re-use, repair, remarketing, sharing, remanufacturing and recycling
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improving access to goods and services, enhancing health and safety, and empowering marginalized groups
Circular economy can be seen as a holistic and integrated approach to achieving the UNSDGs and building a more sustainable future for all.
As an actor facilitating circular economy and contributing to reaching the SDGs, APRA Europe and its members are particularly working towards the following goals:
How do we support
these goals
SDG 8 – Decent work and economic growth:
With our continuous development, digitalization, and standardization, we facilitate and create high-quality work of our employees and network.
SDG 9 – Industry, innovation and infrastructure:
We support sustainable industrialization and innovations with our services and involvement in public funded projects and associations.
SDG 12 – Responsible consumption and production:
With a significant core return and an efficient identification and evaluation service we enable sustainable consumption and production.
SDG 13 – Climate Action:
The more valuable used products we make available to our customers, the more primary raw materials they can save. This service is worldwide available.
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www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/
POSITIVE IMPACTS of Remanufacturing
Remanufacturing is the most sustainable business model because it comes with a number of positive impacts on all dimensions of sustainability.
Environment
Remanufacturing saves
millions of tons of CO2 equivalent emissions,
85% of raw materials,
55% of energy compared with new production.
Economy
Remanufactured parts offer best value for money with comparable quality and equivalent functions as new parts.
Employment
Remanufacturing offers much more jobs than the respective new parts production as it is more labor-intensive.
Safety
Remanufactured parts come with full warranty and product liability because they fulfill equivalent functions as new parts.
Life Cycle Assessment
(LCA) proofs the sustainability of remanufacturing
What is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?
LCA is an internationally standardized and broadly accepted method for assessing the environmental impacts of products and processes. It follows a holistic approach because it considers the whole life cycle from raw materials extraction to the end of life.
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The procedure for conducting an LCA is described in ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 in particular.
LCA results for remanufactured products
Many of our members assess the lice cycles of their product portfolio and have LCA figures audited in order to find out and proof their environmental footprint.
LCA RESULTS
Knorr-Bremse Systeme für Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH performed LCAs for EconX® Products in comparison to Service New Products:
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Compressor 600cc
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Electronic Clutch Actuator
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EBS5 2-Channel Electro-Pneumatic Module
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EBS5 1-Channel Electro-Pneumatic Module
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Trailer EBS (TEBS4)
All LCA results can be downloaded here:
