Report on the remanufacturing of refrigerated display cabinets

©Centre for Remanufacturing & Reuse 2009
This analysis would indicate that the number of remanufactured RDCs is
expected to reach over 12,000 units per annum in 2015. It is likely that the
number of overall RDCs in use will plateau at around 900,000 units between
2015 and 2020.
The number of additional new units required to accommodate expansion in the
market increased between 1999 and 2004. However, there was a decrease in
this requirement between 2004 and 2007. It is estimated that there will be a
constant requirement of approximately 30,000 new units between 2009 and 2015
indicating a slowing of growth in the market. New stock required to replace old
stock will also decrease from about 2009 due to an increase in the level of
remanufacture over this period. The overall level of replacement stock
(remanufactured and new-for-old) will therefore plateau at around the 80,000 per
annum mark.
3.2 Opportunity
Given the current level of remanufacturing, there is an opportunity to increase the
level of activity for both remote and integral RDCs. This may spur further
competition from OEMs, which is likely to get tougher as the requirement for
additional capacity for new RDCs begins to fall post 2015. To maintain or
increase levels of new sales, OEMs may well focus on the replacement market,
which will increase pressure on remanufacturers.
We have estimated that almost 4,000 remote RDCs were remanufactured in
2008, representing 12 % of the total remote RDC population. This level of
remanufacturing activity produces an estimated carbon saving of over 8,200
tonnes CO 2 e per annum. Based on current trends, the level of remanufacture is
predicted to remain stable until 2015.
Taking an average 2.5 remanufactures (i.e. 3-4 “lifetimes”) per remote RDC
implies a CO 2 e saving of approximately 49,000 tonnes per unit. Strictly, to
estimate the total potential impact of remanufacturing RDCs, (integrals and
remotes), a second carbon footprint for integrals is required. However, with the
simplifying assumption that broadly similar benefits can be achieved from
remanufacturing both integral and remote RDCs approximately 144,000 tonnes of
CO 2 e pa could be saved. This is roughly equivalent to the remanufacture of
69,000 RDCs per year. Summary statistics are provided in Table 3.3. If this level
of remanufacture is met, an extra 58,000 RDCs will be remanufactured. TBG
currently employs 210 people and remanufactures approximately 4,000 RDCs.
Based on these figures, an extra 3,050 new jobs in the UK will be required to
remanufacture these extra units.
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