Earth Overshoot Day: BORG Automotive and remanufacturing make an important contribution to conserving natural resources
Every year, the non-profit organisation Global Footprint Network announces the Earth Overshoot Day. It marks the day when humanity has used up the resources that planet Earth can provide in a year. It is becoming increasingly clear that mankind must change course and curb its consumption of resources. In the automotive aftermarket, all involved parties can make a decisive contribution to this – with the use of remanufactured parts, says the Danish company BORG Automotive, and also announces a renewable energy initiative.
Earth Overshoot Day 2022 lands on July 28. The date describes the day on which all nations together have used up the resources available annually without overexploitation. And the national data already available once again make us sit up and take notice: If all countries in the world consumed as much as Qatar, the global community would have been living on credit since 11 February. If the consumption of Canada, the USA and the Arab Emirates is taken as a basis, all resources of this year would already have been used up on 13 March. Also, Germany has been consuming of next year's resources since 4 May, Spain since 12 May, Switzerland since 13 May and the UK since 19 May.
Remanufacturing: BORG Automotive is leading in Europe
One thing is clear: Industrialised countries in particular must rethink and conserve natural resources. The transition to a circular economy must be driven forward more decisively, and the reuse of resources must be given priority over scrapping. Remanufacturing is of course not the only solution to conserving natural resources however, the example of BORG Automotive shows how much potential there is in the circular economy.
The Danish company is the largest independent automotive remanufacturer in Europe and specialises in the remanufacturing of car spare parts. In a complex process, it remanufactures used OE starters, alternators, A/C compressors, EGR valves, turbo chargers, brake calipers, steering racks and steering pumps to as new condition and thereby prolongs the product lifetime. Spare parts from BORG Automotive are visually and qualitatively indistinguishable from new, original parts.
Considerable savings potential: 88 percent less raw materials required
Remanufacturing saves a considerable amount of resources: Studies have shown that the remanufacturing of a starter, for example, requires 88 percent less raw materials. Compared to the production of a new part, energy consumption is reduced by 55 percent and CO2 emissions by 52 percent.
“With such savings, the automotive aftermarket can do its part to achieve the United Nations’ sustainability goals. If all stakeholders in our industry increasingly focus on remanufacturing and saving resources, we can achieve a lot together,” explains Sten Højland, Compliance Director at BORG Automotive, adding, “It is true that remanufacturing increases the logistical effort somewhat, 5 per cent in the case of starters, because used parts have to be ‘collected’ in the market and returned. But in total, these effects are not significant. The savings by far outweigh the additional efforts and, against the backdrop of an increasingly growing environmental awareness among car drivers, remanufactured parts is a good way to meet their needs.”
Gradually switching to renewable energies as part of GHG emission reduction target
To further improve its own balance, BORG Automotive has launched a renewable energy initiative. By 2030, the company intends to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of its production, located in Europe, by 30 percent. And by 2023 it wants to carry out a 3rd party verified life cycle assessment to quantify the CO2 savings of its eight product groups compared with new products. Sten Højland: “We have initiated the transition to renewable energies and are looking forward to the progress. At the same time, we look forward to, by next year, being able to update our customers on the exact CO2 savings they can contribute with by choosing our remanufactured products.”