CONSUMER ATTITUDES TOWARD REMANUFACTURED PRODUCTS AS A FORM OF RECYCLING

Remanufactured products are products that have been repaired and returned to like-new condition through an assembly line process in a factory. Business is finding it financially attractive to reclaim some types of products through a remanufacturing process. This process takes relatively homogeneous products, primarily consumer durable goods, and returns them to essentially new condition through various types of reconditioning. This process provides benefit for the consumer (like-new products at significant savings), the retailer (additional business), the manufacturer (additional opportunities), and society in general (jobs with modest skills requirements through a labor intensive process while reclaiming the prior investment made in the form utility of the original product).; The objectives of this study were to determine the attitudes of consumers as they apply to remanufactured products and then to suggest to retailers and manufacturers the implications of these attitudes.; This study utilized a two-part mail questionnaire that was sent to the Arkansas Household Research Panel, a panel of approximately 600 residents of the State of Arkansas. The first part of the questionnaire dealt with respondent attitudes, interests, and opinions toward 63 Likert-type statements concerning various aspects of remanufactured products. The second part dealt with respondent exposure to and experience with remanufactured products. The Arkansas Household Research Panel furnished general demographic and psychographic information on panelists. Usable responses were obtained from 529 panelists.; Data from the first part of the questionnaire were factor analyzed to determine the important factors and an indicator of interest in remanufactured products was cross-tabulated with indicators designed to determine attitudes toward various considerations of the purchase decision process related to remanufactured products. Eleven hypotheses relating to these purchase decision criteria were stated, analyzed, and discussed. Significant relations were found to exist.; Demographic and psychographic profiles of respondents with significant interest in remanufactured products were developed. Findings of the study discussed the impact of these profiles on the marketing of remanufactured products.