This chapter explores 17 surveys found in the literature which show that remanufacturing is a preferable option from an environmental perspective in comparison to new manufacturing. In most cases, less material and energy resources are used for remanufacturing in comparison to manufacturing. To summarize what the environmental gains of remanufacturing are in comparison to manufacturing and material recycling according to the surveys, remanufacturing:

• Uses less material resources – less material resources are required in comparison to the manufacturing of new products, especially in raw material extraction and part assembly.
• Has a lower greenhouse effect – salvaging efforts in material extraction, part-making and product assembly reduce the amount of emissions to air in comparison to making new products.
• Facilitates safer handling of hazardous materials – bringing back products for remanufacturing also brings back toxic and hazardous material that otherwise could end up in landfills or in recycled waste or recycling equipment. The disassembly of products in the remanufacturing process can facilitate a cleaner recycling of hazardous materials such as Mercury.