Circular approach 'Refurbishment'
Refurbishment is used in the operation phase and on a product level. It describes the repair of a product or the replacement of a subcomponent to facilitate a continuing operation phase. This happens before the End-of-Life and therefore, product identity as well as user group are retained.
Preserving the majority of a product saves the energy and resources needed for the production of a new one. The product stays in the operation phase during refurbishment and therefore, no return flow and reprocessing is necessary. The owner has to be proactive to repair the product, which requires a cost incentive. The repair has to be cheaper than a new purchase. A possibility to reduce the cost would be the implementation of modular design, which favours fast replacement of components. 1
References
1 Reith, Sören: Einfluss der direkten Zweitnutzung energieintensiver Materialien auf die Energiewirtschaft - Masterthesis am Institut für Industriebetriebslehre und Industrielle Produktion Karlsruhe. Karlsruhe: KIT, 2011
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