Research on the decision-making of remanufacturing transformation considering the standardization of recycler under carbon tax policy

Under the backdrop of “dual carbon” targets, the remanufacturing of waste products has attracted much attention from the government because it contributes to reducing carbon emissions in production and alleviating environmental pollution. This study formulates a four-party evolutionary game model of “government-manufacturer-recycler-consumer” to explore in depth the effects of carbon tax, recycling regulations, and consumer environmental awareness on remanufacturing decisions. The study results show that: The recycling standardization practiced by recyclers positively influences whether manufacturers actively engage in remanufacturing, and manufacturers in different industries have varying sensitivities to recycling standardization; (2) Carbon tax policy is conducive to promoting manufacturers’ active remanufacturing, but manufacturers in different industries have varying sensitivities to carbon taxes; (3) Consumer environmental awareness significantly influences recycling standardization, and the extent of this influence is consistent across different industries; (4) Strict government regulation of recyclers and consumers can incentivize manufacturers, especially those in industries lacking carbon emission advantages, to actively remanufacture under conditions of low-carbon taxation. Based on the above conclusions, this study proposes targeted strategies to offer reference for promoting the low-carbon development of the manufacturing industry.