Automotive Remanufacturing in the Circular Economy in Europe

Circular systems of reuse and recycling may stimulate resource conservation and thereby more sustainable outcomes for marketing systems. Automotive remanufacturing serves as a specific circular marketing system of reuse. However, supply shortages challenge the European remanufacturing marketing system, and current research focuses on micromarketing perspectives in this context. This study addresses this gap by analyzing the system from a macromarketing perspective to better understand reverse channel issues and their relation to the sustainability outcomes of the system. The analysis reveals imperfections in the market that lead to a waste of resources and other environmental impacts. A macro-perspective of the European marketing system for supply and procurement in automotive remanufacturing offers relevant insights, which better explain the observed inefficiencies. The study contributes to a more complete understanding of remanufacturing marketing systems and provides implications for policymakers and for marketers concerned with the design of such systems.