Online marketplace for refurbished tech products reveals Irish buyers have a strong appetite for sustainable purchases.
European refurbished products marketplace Refurbed has surpassed €2bn in gross merchandise value.
Out of this Irish sales account for €100m of this total, with more than 300,000 products sold in Ireland since its Irish launch.
“With more people prioritising the environment over e-waste and hyperconsumption, it is clear that this is not merely a trend, but a lasting priority”
When it comes to sustainable tech purchases, Irish consumers rank among the top buyers across Refurbed’s 11 markets, including Ireland, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Czech Republic and Portugal.
They bought the second highest number of refurbished laptops out of eleven markets and the joint second highest number of tablets. Irish consumers are also marked the highest in terms of gifting cameras, buying twice as many cameras as a German consumer during the Christmas period.
Audio devices, smartwatches and gaming consoles ranked the most popular purchases for Irish consumers, after smartphones and laptops.
Sustainable consumer choices
“Since refurbed’s foundation, our mission has been to drive the circular economy and make sustainable consumption more accessible,” said Refurbed’s co-founder and CEO Peter Windischhofer.
“Reaching €2bn in sales is a clear sign that Europe is embracing this change, with Irish consumers buying into many different categories. With more people prioritising the environment over e-waste and hyperconsumption, it is clear that this is not merely a trend, but a lasting priority. The planet can no longer sustain our level of production, so this momentum is extremely encouraging.”
Refurbed reached €1b in sales in 2023, doubling its GMV in just two years and signifying 100% total growth. refurbed has recently closed a €53m Series C funding round, expanded its operations to now include eleven European countries and widened its offering to 25,000 products available on its marketplace.
The company’s growth and momentum reflect a shift toward sustainable consumption, driven by increasing consumer awareness of the negative impact of new technology production.
Last year, refurbed earned B Corp certification for its commitment to social and environmental responsibility and transparency. To measure its impact, the company developed an ISO 14040/44 verified calculation model.
On average, a refurbished smartphone saves 83% in CO2 emissions, 89% in virtual water, and 77% in electronic waste. Every product sold on refurbed’s marketplace undergoes a rigorous refurbishment process of up to 40 steps, including data erasure and restoration to factory settings.
To ensure customer confidence, each device comes with a 30-day free trial and a minimum 12-month warranty. Since its inception, refurbed has saved over 270,000 tonnes of CO2, 900 tonnes of e-waste, and 94bn litres of water, planting more than 6.6m trees.
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