Report on the remanufacturing of refrigerated display cabinets

©Centre for Remanufacturing & Reuse 2009
procedures may be prudent to determine if, as reported through interviews, there
is a disparity between the claimed efficiency ratings of some new RDCs and their
actual performance. Based on these findings, it may be necessary for the RDC
industry to adopt a set of transparent standards or protocols to address this
problem.
Form alliances between OEMs and remanufacturers
The size of order that a remanufacturer is able to fulfil is limited to the amount of
suitable end of life RDCs available to them. Ultimately, remanufacturers are
reliant on five year old purchasing to enable them to effectively remanufacture
RDCs. If the cases purchased are unsuitable for remanufacture then the
remanufacturer cannot compete for business. A potential solution to this would
be through the formation of a strategic partnership with an OEM. This could have
benefits for both parties. The remanufacturer would be able to bid for orders
which they could not normally complete through remanufacturing alone, and the
OEM will find another outlet for their product. Although this may result in the
OEM losing sales to remanufactured product, it also makes any bid more
attractive due to the lower costs of the (cheaper) remanufactured RDCs as part of
a larger bid package for the retailer. In addition, any orders which require the
OEM to remanufacture units with which they are unfamiliar can be placed through
the third party remanufacturer.
Deliver industry-wide changes through a trade organisation
Although the interests of the RDC industry are represented by The Federation of
Environmental Trade Associations (FETA) and the British Refrigeration
Association (BRA), there have been concerns that the viewpoints of
remanufacturers are under-represented. By developing a subcommittee within
one of these trade bodies, the concerns and priories of the remanufacturing
industry within the UK could be addressed.
Developing and delivering industry reform through a trade association is likely to
yield results faster than through direct governmental lobbying. Areas where
industry collaboration could result in higher levels of remanufacturing include:
Adopt an industry wide standard on the quality of new RDCs, for example
specifying the use of stainless steel bases to aid the remanufacturing
process.
Develop an industry recognised code of practice for remanufacturing to
ensure quality and comparability, and hence reduce the risk of purchase
for the retailer.
Promote the environmental benefits of remanufacturing to retailers and
government, taking a more structured, quantified and targeted approach.
Page 32 of 38