Building trust in products with reused parts

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The world is swimming in waste. As a global population, we generate 40 million tons of electronic waste annually. Plastic production has doubled since the year 2000, to almost 400 million metric tons per year in 2021, with only about 9% ever recycled. Yet a lot of products that are thrown away contain components that still work perfectly.

But what if we could reuse those components, with an assurance that they do function correctly?

This is the idea behind material efficiency and the circular economy, which is all about getting more value from existing resources. In manufacturing, reusing used components can be a powerful way to reduce their environmental impact, while saving valuable resources.

But barriers remain to its widespread use by manufacturers, such as access to these spare parts and consumer confidence in the end product. Providing reassurance that the components are safe, reliable and performant is a vital step towards overcoming these barriers and increasing market acceptance.

IEC 62309 helps as it introduces the concept of checking that used parts are safe, functional and reliable when used within new products. It also introduces the concept of ‘qualified as good as new’ (QAGAN), or a declaration that the reliability and functionality of a product containing reused parts is equal to one that only contains new parts.

It provides the requirements that need to be satisfied before a manufacturer can make a QAGAN declaration for their reused parts. Conforming to the standard, therefore, ensures the parts are safe and performant, giving confidence in supply chains and end users.

The standard has recently been updated and now includes further information and guidance on extending the useful life of the component through refurbishment, updating and upgrading.