What was examined?
The comparison focuses on two situations:
- A newly manufactured machine.
- A machine refurbished by Lekkerkerker Dairy & Food Equipment.
The analysis considered the full CO₂ footprint from production through to delivery of the machine. Energy consumption during operation was excluded from the scope, as this is comparable for new and refurbished machines.
The calculation is based on the same machine weights and material compositions. The main difference lies in the reuse of existing metals and components.
Result: more than 50% lower CO₂ emissions
The calculations show that refurbishment makes a considerable difference to CO₂ emissions.
SIG butter packaging machine
A refurbished SIG has a CO₂ footprint of 6.573 tonnes CO₂-eq, compared with 11.942 tonnes CO₂-eq for a newly manufactured machine. This represents a reduction of 45%.
Westfalia separator
The difference is even greater for the Westfalia separator. A refurbished separator has a CO₂ footprint of 6.972 tonnes CO₂-eq, while a newly manufactured machine reaches 14.159 tonnes CO₂-eq. This represents a reduction of 51%.
Why is the difference so large?
The main benefit comes from reusing existing materials.
For a new machine, steel, stainless steel and other metals have to be produced again. This requires a great deal of energy and results in high emissions. During refurbishment, large parts of the existing machine remain in use. Only the components that need replacement or renewal are changed.
According to the analysis, the largest difference is found within Scope 3 emissions, specifically in the category of purchased goods and services.
Refurbishment involves more than reuse
A refurbished machine is not simply a used machine that is sold again.
At Lekkerkerker Dairy & Food Equipment, machines are technically inspected, cleaned, adapted and, where required, fitted with new parts and control systems. Reliability, safety and performance in practice are taken into account throughout the process.
Our engineers and technicians work every day on separators, packaging machines, tanks, process lines and complete installations for the dairy and food industry.
By giving machines a second life, we extend the service life of installations while reducing the demand for new raw materials and production capacity.
