The environmental and economical viability of remanufacturing: A case study on washing machines recovery
This thesis examines the viability of remanufacturing as a means of promoting sustainable and profitable appliance recovery, with a particular focus on washing machines. The study is based on a case study of Ri-Generation, a company located in Piemonte that recovers used appliances and remanufacture...
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| Tipo de documento: | dissertação |
| Data de publicação: | 2023 |
| País: | España |
| Recursos: | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) |
| Repositório: | UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/386435 |
| Acesso em linha: | https://hdl.handle.net/2117/386435 |
| Access Level: | Acceso aberto |
| Palavra-chave: | Laundry machinery -- Recycling -- Economic aspects Circular economy -- Piemonte (Italy) -- Economic aspects Product life cycle Màquines de rentar roba -- Reciclatge -- Aspectes econòmics Economia circular -- Piemont (Itàlia) -- Aspectes econòmics Cicle de vida del producte Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Economia i organització d'empreses::Direcció d'operacions::Sistemes productius |
| Resumo: | This thesis examines the viability of remanufacturing as a means of promoting sustainable and profitable appliance recovery, with a particular focus on washing machines. The study is based on a case study of Ri-Generation, a company located in Piemonte that recovers used appliances and remanufactures them for their sale. The thesis investigates the remanufacturing landscape in Europe and identifies several obstacles to a profitable remanufacturing business, including the the lack of regulation, negative customer perceptions, and high degree of variability in the manufacturing process as well as potential solutions. The potential environmental benefits of remanufacturing are a key focus of this master's thesis: the study specifically identifies remanufacturing as a potential solution to address the issue of material scarcity and reduce CO2 emissions. To quantify the environmental impact of remanufacturing in comparison to traditional manufacturing, a life cycle assessment (LCA) analysis is conducted. The results are used to inform the overall conclusions of the study, which emphasize the potential of remanufacturing as a sustainable approach to appliance recovery. Finally, the thesis analyzes the costs and circumstances that permit the profitability of the business as well as the factors that make Ri-Generation competitive. The results of this thesis provide insights into the challenges and opportunities of remanufacturing and offer recommendations for future research and policy decisions |
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