If you’re one of the tens of thousands of aftermarket professionals who attended this year’s AAPEX Show in Las Vegas, you might have noticed that some people were wearing green shoes on Wednesday, Nov. 1. If you took a long look at those green sneakers, that’s a good thing. It was a fashion statement meant to get your attention.

In recent years, show organizers have designated one day at AAPEX as “Remanufacturing Day.” This year, on Nov. 1, many remanufacturing exhibitors wore green shoes as a way of spreading awareness of the reman industry and its important role in sustainability.

“It really is our way of showing that remanufacturing walks the talk on sustainability,” John Chalifoux declared during MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers’ annual Member & Media Industry Breakfast Briefing at AAPEX.

Chalifoux took the podium – donning green shoes – to shine the spotlight on how the association and aftermarket businesses are walking the talk on sustainability. Chalifoux, who is the chief Sustainability Officer for MEMA and COO of MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers, emphasized that remanufacturers are leading the way.

“We get a lot of questions about the future of remanufacturing,” Chalifoux said. “We all see the changing technologies from A to Z – from ADAS to zero-emissions vehicles, especially battery electric vehicles. Well, the future of remanufacturing is bright.

Remanufacturing will continue to yield products that are like new, but better. They’re like new [in] quality, but they’re a better value and they’re better for the environment.

“As a society, we continue to be driven to reuse as much as possible. The remanufacturing of core material, value-added material, will always be a viable alternative to new – and society will demand it. We’re seeing that more than ever before, and it has and will continue to always make economic sense.”

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