About the Center

Mission Statement

The Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery (C3R) is internationally recognized as a leading center for applied research in remanufacturing. Our mission is to analyze and solve specific problems for remanufacturers and to deliver to industry advanced technologies and tools for efficient, cost-effective remanufacturing and the design of products that have no negative environmental impacts.

Background

C3R was formed in 1996 as a collaborative problem-solving and technology transfer initiative of RIT’s College of Engineering, the remanufacturing industry and several federal laboratories. Since then, it has been a major contributor to progress in the remanufacturing sector toward sustainable production. Following the establishment in 2005 of the Golisano Institute for Sustainability (GIS), C3R has operated as one of six research centers within GIS dedicated to advancing the principles of sustainability in industry worldwide. For well over a decade, C3R has proven its ability to deliver concrete solutions based on sustainable practices for the global remanufacturing industry. Funding for our applied research activities is provided by governments and private industry.

Timeline of Industrial Remanufacturing

1920s — Mass production and the assembly line begin to dominate American industry. New standardized offerings such as the automobile are the first products to be ideally suited to full-scale remanufacturing.
1922 — Automotive Engine Rebuilders Association (AERA) is founded to represent the engine remanufacturing industry, machine shops, equipment parts and service suppliers.
1930s — The Great Depression hits. Automobiles are more routinely remanufactured as money and resources become scarce. Henry Ford begins authorizing certain Ford dealerships to remanufacture parts.
1941 — Automotive Parts Rebuilders Association (APRA) is founded.
1942 — The United States enters World War II and the production of commercial vehicles is put on hold. Rebuilding automotive parts becomes one of the only ways to keep cars and trucks operating.
1962 — The Federal Trade Commission publishes trade rules for the sale and distribution of used and rebuilt motor vehicle parts, establishing standards for automotive remanufacturers.
1970s — Growing depletion and contamination of natural resources brings environmental concerns into the national consciousness. The U.S. government begins to pass environmental legislation that will affect traditional manufacturing processes.
1976 — The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act passes, giving the Environmental Protection Agency "cradle-to-grave" authority over hazardous waste. This is a landmark move towards controlling waste at its source.
1989 — After lengthy negotiation, the Office Furniture Refurbishers Forum (OFDA) is formed as part of the National Office Products Association (later to become the Independent Office Products and Furniture Dealers Association).
1990 — Eastman Kodak implements the single-use camera recycling program, which will result in the remanufacture of 312 million cameras by the year 1999. The Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing team, a group of faculty at Rochester Institute of Technology, begins applied research in the fields of remanufacturing, design for disassembly and recycling.
1996 — A study conducted by Professor Robert T. Lund of Boston University identifies 70,000 remanufacturing firms in the U.S. operating in at least 47 different product areas.
1997 — EPA's May issue of WasteWi$e proclaims that "remanufactured" is "good as new." The Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing team at Rochester Institute of Technology becomes the National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery (NCR3, now the Center for Remanufacturing or C3R). The Remanufacturing Industries Council International (RICI) is formed to unite and promote the remanufacturing industry; RICI is a collaborative effort between members of industry, government and universities. Federal Trade Commission rules that remanufacturers may label their products "recycled" or "recyclable." A working group of the President's Council on Sustainable Development recommends recycle, remanufacture, redesign, and rethink as solutions for the 21st Century. A bill to prioritize the state purchase of remanufactured goods passes the New York Assembly.
1999 — Texas, Connecticut, and California all pass legislation to promote the purchase of recycled and remanufactured products by state agencies.
2000 — In New York State, two laws are signed that promote remanufacturing. The first is a tax credit to benefit remanufacturing companies; the second, passed in 1998, is an amendment to the State Finance Law to encourage the state purchase of remanufactured goods. July: The Remanufacturing Institute launches the Remanufacturing Tax Credit Information Center. The Web site is designed to be a central hub of information for remanufacturing professionals wanting to track the progress of H.R. 2953. Site visitors can read the bill, see the latest news surrounding the legislation, view the list of co-sponsors (updated daily), and even send emails to their respective members of the House. The Tax Credit Center can be accessed from TRI's home page or directly at www.reman.org/tax_credit_center.htm.
2001 — April 10, remanufacturing industry leaders meet at Rochester Institute of Technology and decide to form an industry-wide alliance called the Remanufacturing Industries Council (RIC). The Council's goal is to promote and advance remanufacturing.
2002 — Gateway Inc. starts a program offering consumers a rebate when they purchase PCs or other products and trade in a PC or a related piece of equipment for recycling.
2003 — January, President George W. Bush, in his State of the Union address, states his belief that the first car driven by a baby born today will be a fuel cell-powered vehicle. Various departments at RIT begin fuel cell research. January 11, the Environmental Protection Agency forms partnerships with Best Buy, AT&T Wireless, Sony, Panasonic, Dell, Sharp, Recycle America, Envirecycle, Inc., and nxtcycle to encourage Americans to recycle old computer equipment, televisions, and other electronic equipment and provide increased opportunities to do so. March 19: Dell Computer Corp. announced plans to offer doorstep pickup of old computer equipment for a small fee ($15.00 per item) to ensure proper recycling.
2005 — Caterpillar Inc. announced the formation of the company’s new Remanufacturing Division to support sustainable development and to achieve growth goals. The Company is recognized by the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the 5th straight year.

Remanufacturing Statistics

"In Europe, under stiff recycling requirements, by the year 2002, no more than 15% of a scrap vehicle can go to a landfill. That percentage drops to 5% in 2015."
U.S. business could avoid $93 million in disposal costs and small companies could save 30-50% in purchasing costs just by remanufacturing office furniture rather than buying it new.
Remanufacturing businesses employ 480,000 people per year.
A survey of remanufacturing companies found that over 80% had training programs and that average annual expenditures on these programs was over $30,000 per company.
Purchasing a remanufactured product can cost consumers 50 to 75% less than a new product.
"Today's furniture recyclers ... contribute more than $1.2 billion of the $13.6 billion commercial furniture industry."
Annual energy savings resulting from remanufacturing activities worldwide is 120 trillion BTU, which equals the electricity generated by eight nuclear power plants, or 16 million barrels of crude oil (about 350 tankers).
Annual material savings resulting from remanufacturing activities worldwide is 14 million tons a year, which is the equivalent of a fully-loaded railway train 1650 miles long.
The raw materials saved by remanufacturing in a year would fill 155,000 railroad cars forming a train 1100 miles long.