Analysis about the incorporation of remanufacturing concept into life cycle assessment theories

Abstract

In Circular Economy, remanufacturing is one of the most beneficial circular loops to guarantee the conservation of resources. There are some alternatives to multiple life cycle products such as reuse, renovation, refurbishment or recycling although remanufacturing is the only option that introduces multiple life cycle products in the market as if these products were new. The objective of this research is to assess the requirement of a better alternative for the End of Cycle in Life Cycle Assessment from the remanufacturing perspective. Life Cycle Assessment is an environmental accounting and management approach that considers all the aspects of resource use and environmental releases associated with an industrial system from cradle to grave. Aiming at this, different system boundaries and allocation methodologies have been considered. The following four methodologies have been analyzed: Ecoinvent, Environdec, International Reference Life Cycle Data and European Product Environmental Footprint. In the studied methods, the recovery appears as reuse, energetic recovery or recovery to second life. These methods elude the remanufacturing perspective; therefore, how remanufacturing would fit for each of the selected methodologies has been analyzed.