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Reprocessing of used products is a growing field, with respect to both scientific and practical approaches. In this context, we present an in-depth case study dealing with the reverse logistics processes at Repair- and Service Center R.U.S.Z, an Austrian Work Integration Social Enterprise (WISE) located in Vienna, Austria. The main business segments of R.U.S.Z are reprocessing, repairing, and servicing of (used) products and repair services. The reverse logistics activities include relevant processes like acquisition, testing and grading, and disposition/reprocessing of used goods. Based upon the case study, we present the gained insights and furthermore identify research opportunities. Our main findings are: (1) the reverse logistics activities of this non-profit-organization are equivalent compared with the profit-driven approaches used in literature; (2) the business of R.U.S.Z is not solely profit- or cost-driven but the company is based on the triple bottom line and pursues environmental and social goals, too; (3) in spite of legislation aiming at the reuse of used products, there is lack of collaboration between manufacturers and reprocessors.

Abstract Reprocessing of used products is a growing field, with respect to both scientific and practical approaches. In this context, we present an in-depth case study dealing with the reverse logistics processes at Repair- and Service Center R.U.S.Z, an Austrian Work Integration Social Enterprise (WISE) located in Vienna, Austria. The main business segments of R.U.S.Z are reprocessing, repairing, and servicing of (used) products and repair services. The reverse logistics activities include relevant processes like acquisition, testing and grading, and disposition/reprocessing of used goods. Based upon the case study, we present the gained insights and furthermore identify research opportunities. Our main findings are: (1) the reverse logistics activities of this non-profit-organization are equivalent compared with the profit-driven approaches used in literature; (2) the business of R.U.S.Z is not solely profit- or cost-driven but the company is based on the triple bottom line and pursues environmental and social goals, too; (3) in spite of legislation aiming at the reuse of used products, there is lack of collaboration between manufacturers and reprocessors.

Repair is a central component of a circular economy to extend the operational phase of products. Yet, the number of repair service providers as well as demand for repair have declined over the last decades, while more products than ever before were sold. Thus, for a successful transition from a linear to a circular economy the demand for repair services must be boosted to promote repair business. A starting point to achieve this goal is to increase knowledge about the end consumers' intention whether to repair broken products or not. An extensive literature research revealed a comprehensive set of drivers of the repair intention covering aspects related to environmental protection, social acceptance, and economic considerations as well as socio-demographic variables, past behaviour, and perceived repair difficulty. Those factors are not only relevant for a specific product category but for repairs of consumer goods in general. The aim is to evaluate the relevance of those drivers for three different repair intentions: (1) to make use of repair service providers, (2) to self-repair broken items, and (3) to use repair service providers incorporated in a repair network. A quantitative online survey was designed, and distributed in Styria, Austria. By means of a structural equation model the acquired data of 900 respondents was analysed. The results emphasise the trade-off between acting environmentally-friendly and economic aspects like repair cost and time, but also highlight the effect of government intervention – in the form of setting up a network and financial support for repair – on shaping this trade-off. Furthermore, past behaviour is found to strongly drive repair intention. Our research contributes to scientific literature by shedding light on the influence of diverse drivers on different repair intentions. It is also relevant for supporting repair companies' decision making with respect to repair service design, as well as public authorities interested in promoting repair.

Repair is an essential part of the transition towards a circular economy by recovering full functionality of faulty products or components, and thus, extending the product usage phase. This is seen as a core strategy to obtain desired environmental impact like waste reduction and resource conservation. Beyond that, repair services also affect societal and economic aspects like the number of local jobs. To realize the potential, supply with as well as demand for repair services has to be ensured. In this study we report on how the city of Graz, Austria deals with challenges related to this by introducing a public funding scheme for repair services to increase demand, and funding and organizing a repair network to strengthen the suppliers. By means of a case study, we explore success factors and critical aspects related to setting up a repair network, and provide insights into the interplay of a financial incentive scheme for promoting repair. Key findings show that: (1) having the local government as the network organizer facilitates the integration of multiple sectors but might jeopardize the network's sustainability due to political reasons; (2) the interplay between public funding and the repair network is effective, but network heterogeneity induces risk; (3) cooperation within the network can improve price and service quality and thus, affect customer demand, but lacking awareness of repair in general and the repair network constrains demand. These insights and the related discussion result in the identification of future research opportunities and related questions.