Looking for ways to keep the cost of materials and supplies low? In an article in the Spring 2009 issue of MIT Sloan Management Review, John A. Pearce II discusses the opportunities represented by product reconstruction.
Looking for ways to keep the cost of materials low? In an article in the Spring 2009 issue of MIT Sloan Management Review, John A. Pearce II discusses the opportunities represented by product reconstruction -- which can take the form of recycling, refurbishing or remanufacturing.
While Pearce notes that such product reconstruction is not appropriate for every company, he reports that product-reconstruction activities tend to have higher average profit margins than typical manufacturing processes. What's more, Pearce points out that legislative trends may favor product reconstruction going forward -- as some governments start to place restrictions on certain kinds of waste disposal or to promote the purchase of reconstructed products.
1 Comment On: New opportunities from old products
We’ll be exploring many innovation strategies, including specifically opportunities associated with re-thinking waste, in conversation with Ron Gonen, RecycleBank, Tom Szaky, TerraCycle, Paul Ligon, Waste Management, and several others at http://www.sustainablebrands09.com. Check out the full program, featuring a faculty of 80+ discussing the changing economic, environmental and social context, sustainable brand best practices and opportunities and strategies for innovation for sustainability at http://www.sustainablelifemedia.com/events/sb09/program. We’re honored to have MIT Sloan Management Review as a Media Partner!