New research into the carbon footprint of remanufacturing found that remanufacturing avoids between 38 percent and 53 percent of the carbon dioxide that is generated from new production.


Calling it "an astounding revelation," Rolf Steinhilper of Bayreuth University in Bayreuth, Germany, announced the results of his team's extensive research on the "CO2 Footprints of Remanufacturing" during the International Big R Show in Las Vegas recently.

"The good news is that remanufacturing is not melting the icebergs," Steinhilper said. Carbon dioxide, or CO2, is a greenhouse gas that is blamed by the majority of the scientific community for global climate change.

"People familiar with our industry have always known the tremendous environmental and societal benefit of remanufacturing," said APRA President Bill Gager. "The most difficult task was how to calculate what we already knew. Dr. Steinhilper and his team of experts have done it."

The Bayreuth University team looked at three products: a 6 cylinder BMW diesel engine, a Robert Bosch starter and a BorgWarner Turbocharger. The results indicate reductions in CO2 of 36 percent to 53 percent with the supply chain of a remanufactured product versus the supply chain of a new product.

"This means that every time a consumer purchases a remanufacturerd product they are reducing their own carbon footprint," Gager said. "To the aftermarket this means that if they wish to be more environmentally friendly they should be promoting more sales of remanufactured product over new and encouraging the consumer to reduce their carbon footprint."

The amount of CO2 emissions from remanufacturing 1 million starters is equivalent to 20,090 individual passenger flights across the U.S., Steinhilper said.