Waste Prevention Information Exchange

Remanufacturing

Remanufacturing prevents many reusable objects from becoming waste. For the purposes of the Waste Prevention Information Exchange, remanufacturing is defined as substantial rebuilding or refurbishment of machines, mechanical devices, or other objects to bring them to a reusable or like-new state. The remanufacturing process usually involves disassembly, and frequently involves cleaning and rebuilding or replacing components. Remanufactured objects are sometimes referred to as rebuilt objects. Many examples are found in the automotive parts industry. It is common to replace, for example, worn out automobile starters and alternators with rebuild starters and alternators. Rebuilt automobile engines and transmissions are not uncommon. Other remanufactured items include, office furniture, compressors, electrical apparatus, vending machines, photo copiers, musical instruments, aircraft parts, and many other items.

Also see Reuse, and Wood in this directory.

• National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery (NCR³)—The National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery (NCR³) is a center for applied research in remanufacturing. NCR³'s mission is to deliver to industry advanced technologies and tools for efficient and cost-effective remanufacturing and the design of products that have no negative environmental impacts.
• Remanufacturing Studies at Boston University—The Bibliography of Remanufacturing, and the trade association links on this page are good resources for those investigating the subject of remanufacturing.
• The Remanufacturing Institute—The Remanufacturing Institute (TRI) represents all segments of the remanufacturing industry to legislators, the media and elsewhere.
• Thomas Register—Although this site is not limited to remanufacturing, this resource helps users for find companies and products manufactured in North America, place orders on line, and view thousands of online company catalogs and web sites.

Last updated: May 05, 2008