Paving the way for sustainable remanufacturing in Southeast Asia: An analysis of auto parts markets

The consumption of products, including automobiles, has been increasing rapidly in Asian developing and transition (D&T) countries, and appropriate diffusion of remanufacturing in the region is necessary to achieve sustainable consumption and production. This paper presents analyses of consumer perceptions of remanufactured auto parts (RAPs) in three Southeast Asian D&T countries: Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The authors conducted internet questionnaire surveys, targeting 500 respondents in each country, and examined consumers' knowledge of RAPs, perceptions of the benefits and risks, and consumers' purchase intentions of RAPs. Our study reveals that consumers' knowledge and perceived benefits of RAPs positively affect consumers' purchase intentions of RAPs in all three countries, but the influence of the perceived risks is not found. The cross-comparison of the perceptions in the countries reveals that knowledge of RAPs and the perceived benefits and risks are relatively high in Vietnam compared to those in Malaysia and Thailand. This study analyzes if consumers have a higher preference for certified RAPs than uncertified ones. A higher level of quality assurance in a country is critical for product diffusion in the market. The study clarifies that the purchasing decisions are also influenced by the country-of-origin (COO) of RAPs. Drawing on our study results, we suggest measures to promote markets for remanufactured products in D&T countries and provide policy options to accelerate the promotion of resource efficiency practices.