Underutilization of second-hand equipment

Considerable and increasing quantities of second-hand equipment become available every year in advanced industrial countries. Although it may no longer be economic to employ such equipment in the conditions (such as a particular industrial sector in a developed country) under which it was previously used, it might still be used to economic advantage under different conditions (such as in a developing country). Nevertheless, such resources tend to be ignored in favour of the purchase of new equipment.