# Remanufacturing of Industrial Electronics: A Case Study from the GCC Region
## 4 GCC Region a Case Study
### Industrial Remanufacturing for Sustainable e-Waste Practices in GCC Region  
One potential strategy to tackle the problem of e-waste in the GCC area is to encourage and provide incentives for remanufacturing. Industrial remanufacturing aims to refurbish and repair electronic products to their original condition, extending their useful lives and reducing waste generated. Therefore, by promoting and encouraging the adoption of remanufacturing practices, GCC can reduce its reliance on manual labor for sorting and create jobs in the remanufacturing industry. Furthermore, remanufacturing can also contribute to reducing the country's carbon footprint by reducing the amount of energy and resources needed to produce new electronic industrial products. With the proper support and investment, remanufacturing could be a sustainable solution to minimize e-waste in the GCC region. For instance, we consider an industrial remanufacturing facility in a GCC region that specialized in refurbishing and repairing EoL industrial equipment across various sectors. This Facility receives equipment for remanufacturing from multiple customers, including oil and gas, petrochemical, manufacturing, power generation, and other industries. Once the equipment is collected, the facility disassembles it into individual parts, inspects each component thoroughly, and replaces or repairs any damaged or faulty components to restore the equipment to its original condition using professional tools. Moreover, this industrial remanufacturing facility maintains a database of successfully remanufactured industrial products, which allows it to track and analyze the performance of remanufactured equipment over time. For each remanufactured product, the database contains detailed information, such as the date of remanufacture, the parts that were repaired or replaced, and the quality control measures that were used. Therefore, they use this information to identify areas that need improvements in remanufacturing and demonstrate the excellence and reliability of remanufactured products to potential customers. Additionally, the database helps the facility monitor the environmental benefits of remanufacturing, such as the amount of waste diverted from landfills and the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions associated with producing new equipment. According to the database of successfully remanufactured equipment over several years, as depicted in Figure 14, it can be seen that more than 6500 units were successfully remanufactured, ranging from motors to electronic controllers, including VFDs, PLCs, HMIs, and PCBs. As a result, establishing this facility has decreased the harmful effects of industrial activities on the environment in the region and provided cost-effective solutions for businesses looking to replace their aging equipment. On the other hand, remanufacturing industrial products can be a cost-effective alternative to purchasing new equipment as the price range could be between $2000 and $3000, while a new machine could cost between $30,000 and $100,000. Moreover, according to the database the average price of remanufacturing, including labor and spare parts, is around $300 to $600, almost half the price a customer would pay for a remanufactured product, which ranged from $600 to $900. Consequently, this finding indicates that remanufacturing has the potential to reduce waste, save resources, and cut costs, making it an attractive option for both businesses and the environment in the GCC region. According to the database, Table 3 compares the cost of remanufacturing EoL EEE and the cost of new units, highlighting the financial benefits of remanufacturing in terms of savings. The remanufacturing cost includes labor and spare electronic parts, which generally do not carry a high price tag. In the GCC region, labor costs tend to remain relatively stable. The data in the table confirms that remanufacturing equipment can lead to significant savings compared to purchasing new units.