China’s Year of the Cat

Archiv – Caterpillar Inc. of Peoria, Illinois, USA, has signed a letter of intent with China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to promote the development of China’s remanufacturing industry.Caterpillar Inc. of Peoria, Illinois, USA, has signed a letter of intent with China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to promote the development of China’s remanufacturing industry.
’Remanufacturing is a highly sophisticated form of recycling that takes end-of-life components and turns them into like-new products for a fraction of the cost,’ explains Caterpillar’s Group President Stuart Levenick. ’Our remanufacturing business is one of the fastest growing parts of our company because this technology helps our customers remain competitive and promotes a sustainable environment by reducing waste and the need for raw materials to make new parts.’
NDRC Resources Conservation & Environmental Protection Department Director General Madame Zhao Jia Rong comments: ’The letter of intent lays a solid foundation to promote co-operation in the area of remanufacturing. It is beneficial for China to learn the expertise of foreign countries and to promote the development of the recycling economy.’
As part of the letter of intent, Caterpillar will provide expertise to assist NDRC and Chinese research institutions in supporting the development of the remanufacturing industry in China. Caterpillar and NDRC have also agreed to form a joint working group on remanufacturing programmes for detailed discussions, as well as for further co-ordination and promotion with regard to sustainable manufacturing and other areas.
Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services is the first wholly-owned foreign entity to receive a remanufacturing licence in China. To support its Chinese customers, dealers and other customers in the Asia Pacific region, Caterpillar recently opened a regional remanufacturing centre in the Lingang industrial area of Shanghai.
’We are proud to be a pioneer in this industry and look forward to supporting China’s 4R initiative: reduce, reuse, recycle and remanufacture,’ says Caterpillar’s Vice President for Remanufacturing Steve Fisher. ’Through our business model and with this letter of intent, Caterpillar will support the Chinese government’s goal of achieving a sustainable economy based through recycling.’
With more than 30 years of experience, Caterpillar is a global leader in remanufacturing technology. In 2005, customers from around the world returned 61.2 million kg (135 million pounds) of components to Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services. Close to 70% of those 2.2 million end-of-life units were remanufactured to produce Cat Reman products, with the remaining percentage recycled.