Inside Lexmark’s REMAN Facility: A Guided Tour into Sustainable Reverse Logistics

Representatives from several partner institutions recently had the opportunity to visit Lexmark’s REMAN (Remanufacturing) facility. This tour was made possible through the coordination of Lexmark employees and project partners of DiCiM, György Szemerédi and János Bátyai. DiCiM partners present included representatives from Masaryk University, Gorenje, and Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (KTH Royal Institute of Technology). 

This cross-institutional visit facilitated meaningful discussions and learning opportunities surrounding best practices in sustainable manufacturing.

The guided tour offered a comprehensive look into Lexmark's sophisticated reverse logistics and remanufacturing processes, shedding light on their contributions to sustainable product life cycles through the LCCP (Lexmark Cartridge Collection Program). The facility walkthrough included:

• Inbound Logistics: Box opening, sorting, damage checking, HDD removal, and secure HDD disposal.

• Disassembly: Dismantling of units based on parts demand and salvage of reusable components.

• Component Handling: Parts repair and reintegration into the production line.

• Remanufacturing Process: Identifying and tracing malfunctions, re-labeling, and restoring devices to operational condition.

• Quality Control: Ensuring all remanufactured products meet Lexmark’s stringent quality standards.

• Final Stages: Custom packaging designed for REMAN devices, palletisation, and warehousing—capped at 2,500 units, sorted by model.

• Outbound Preparation: Final logistics before reintroduction into the market.

The visit concluded with a reflection session, providing time to recap key insights from the tour. This was followed by an engaging team discussion and a shared lunch, allowing participants to exchange perspectives on advancing circular economy practices in manufacturing and discuss future integrations of DiCiM technologies in the market place.