David Fitzsimons reported on a workshop where circular economy research was the topic and “argued the case for remanufactured products”.
David Fitzsimons, Managing Director, Centre for Remanufacturing and Reuse, attended the CIE-MAP workshop on circular economy held in London by the Green Alliance. The focus was on lowering “embedded and used energy in consumer products” and concentrated on lifestyles while the goal was to recognise the “type of questions to include in a n=1,000 survey later this year”.
Fitzsimons debated the virtues of remanufactured products and said that most consumers are “unaware they are using remanufactured components and products” but when reminded some are negative about using them. Using the court case against Apple in the Netherlands where the company was sued by a customer because a replaced iPad was remanufactured as an example Fitzsimons said that the “replacement was remanufactured, carried an equivalent guarantee and continued to work well”. However the court deemed that Apple should replace the iPad with a new one not a remanufactured one.
Remanufactured products have huge savings in embedded energy but there are many obstructions to the acceptance of these products by consumers. Fitzsimons also pointed out that “remanufactured components and equipment represent €30 billion in sales across Europe (figures from ERN study 2016)”.
It was also brought to the attention of attendees that as survey had shown that millennials said that they preferred to rent or lease products rather than own them and Fitzsimons concluded that this was a business area with many opportunities.