Sustainability at refurbed

We were founded with the intention of making a positive contribution to our planet by reducing the environmental impact of consumption as much as possible. We would like to give you more insights here – and introduce you to the various pillars of sustainability on which we build.

Our journey began in 2017 with our vision of making consumption sustainable. By extending the lifespan of laptops, smartphones, tablets and products beyond, we avoid the unnecessary need for new products, which have a detrimental impact on the environment. Through offering a platform with more sustainable alternatives, we offer a solution for circular economy that reduces the negative impact we have as a society on our planet.

It is important for us to make our environmental impact measurable and transparent to you. This is why we have analysed our impact and can proudly say that refurbished products have an incredible savings potential compared to new products. In fact, on average, refurbed smartphones, tablets and laptops avoid 83% of CO₂ emissions, 87-92% of virtual water consumption and 76-96% of e-waste (detailed information on our ISO 14040/44-verified calculation model can be found below).

But our commitment to positive change extends beyond our core business. Measuring our impact is only the first step – driving real action is what matters. That's why we commit to reducing our own environmental footprint, supporting high-impact environmental projects and advocating for more sustainable policies through our political engagement.

We believe that together, we can create a transformative movement – one which would not be possible without you: our customers, friends, sellers, partners and community.

The traditional linear economy follows a wasteful "take, make, dispose" model, where valuable materials are discarded after short product lifecycles. This approach leads to significant waste of valuable, limited resources and poses a serious burden on our environment. The circular economy offers an alternative approach where fewer resources are extracted, products are used for longer periods, and materials are brought back into the cycle; for example, through refurbishing, reuse or recycle. refurbed offers a platform for circular economy where you can trade-in old devices and purchased refurbished products.

The quality of our products is our top priority. To minimise the risk for our customers, each product comes with a free 30-day trial and a 12-month warranty.

We pursue a multi-stage quality management approach. Quality assurance and control mechanisms ensure that only sellers with the best quality products sell on our platform. All refurbed products must pass state-of-the-art software testing, and a refurbishment report records the process and exact condition of each product. Based on ad hoc quality checks and automated alert systems, as well as a detailed assessment of seller performance, we ensure that product quality meets refurbed standards. Finally, we carry out random quality checks on our sellers using mystery shopping to uncover potential blind spots.

With this comprehensive quality management system, we ensure that only the best sellers can offer their products on our platform.

While we strive to provide our customers with sustainable and affordable products, we commit to providing those at no expense of ecological and social standards. We ensure this with clear guidelines for our partners with regards to the protection and preservation of the environment, minimising the negative impacts on the environment and standards on labour and human rights.

In our quest for innovation, we have partnered with Fraunhofer Austria for several years to create something revolutionary. Our goal was to develop a verified computational model that allows us to measure the environmental impact of thousands of smartphones, tablets and laptops.

And this is how it works: We feed the model with technical data, for example with that of an iPhone 12: information on storage space, battery capacity, year of production and screen size, etc. The calculation model is based on the partial life-cycle analysis of five of our best-sellers and extended by a wealth of knowledge and data. Our computational model covers +12,000 products on our marketplace and is verified by an independent third party, GutCert, in accordance with ISO 14040/44. As a result, the model presents us with:

• savings in CO₂, electrical waste and virtual water consumption[1] of a refurbished product compared to a new device [2],

• savings in material resources, critical raw materials and conflict materials [3] of a refurbished smartphone compared to a new device [2],

• CO₂ emissions, electronic waste and virtual water consumption [1] generated in the 2nd life cycle of a product [2],

• a detailed breakdown of CO₂ emissions along the 2nd life cycle for transport in purchasing, refurbishment, marketplace, distribution by refurbed and use phase [2].

Curious what savings potential your device holds? Download our Excel sheet and discover the product footprint of your smartphone, tablet or laptop. In addition, our GutCert verification documents the correctness of our calculation model and accordance with ISO 14040/44.

Since February 2024 we have been investing in a portfolio of high-impact environmental projects that will have a long-term impact:

• Landscape restoration: With our partner myclimate, we are restoring ecosystems in Ethiopia, including the planting of trees. The sustainable involvement of local communities plays an important role in this. • Innovative CO₂ removal: We support innovative projects that are crucial but often underfunded. With Patch and Carbony, we support(ed) European initiatives to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. • E-waste recycling: Only 23% of electronic waste is properly recycled worldwide. Together with Minimise, we are bringing e-waste dumped in the global south back into the cycle through local partners and professional recycling. • Native Irish tree planting: With our partner Reforest Nation, we offered our customers the option to plant a native Irish tree for free with their purchase.

refurbed was founded to make a positive contribution to the world, reducing the environmental impact of consumption as much as possible. In 2024 we have achieved a milestone on our path towards our vision by gaining the B Corp Certification, a testament for our committed to high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. B Corp certification is awarded by B Lab™, a nonprofit organisation that certifies companies based on their social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Certified B Corporations™ are leaders in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. The "B" stands for Benefit for all, signifying a commitment to positively impact workers, communities, customers, and the planet.