Producing goods for remanufacturing and reuse

Consumers are increasingly concerned about environmental issues when they buy products for work or home. This includes what happens to the product once they have finished using it. You should think about options such as reuse and remanufacturing when you are designing and manufacturing your products.

Reuse includes any operation by which products or components that are not waste are used again for the same purpose for which they were conceived.

Remanufacturing is the process of bringing used products to a 'like new' functional state, typically with a warranty to match. Its environmental benefit is the recovery of a substantial proportion of the resources incorporated in a used product from its original manufacture.

This guide outlines ways of reusing and recycling products, and explains the advantages and disadvantages of remanufacturing. It describes the types of remanufacturing and what you need to know about quality standards, as well as related challenges and opportunities.