Pádraig Power from Refurbed on how the Irish Government can further support the circular economy.
Budget 2025 marked the highest ever financial allocation for the Department of Environment, coupled with several funding measures aimed at strengthening climate action. While these measures represent important steps towards achieving Ireland’s climate objectives, a stronger emphasis on supporting the circular economy could provide a more strategic approach to ensuring long-term sustainability.
The Government’s Green Public Procurement Strategy and Action Plan highlights the need for a more sustainable production and consumption model.
“With the Government’s commitment to more sustainable and affordable practices, we can accelerate progress toward a more circular economy – one that benefits both people and the planet”
This involves changing how we consume materials and resources, designing more sustainable products, and extending the lifespan of goods in both society and the economy. Integrating these principles across all Government practices is essential, and we can begin by addressing a key sector that impacts every public body, and everyone’s life in general – technology.
The environmental impact of producing new electronic devices is significant. A 2023 United Nations study revealed that Irish consumers generated 11 million kilograms of electronic waste in 2022. This is the equivalent to 25 million items containing precious and valuable metals, and 60% of these items never come back through the e-waste recycling system. E-waste has become one of the fastest growing waste streams worldwide, and one of the most environmentally hazardous if not managed properly; yet it often goes unnoticed, leading us to overlook its recycling potential.
A study carried out by refurbed in conjunction with the Fraunhofer Institute found that new electronic devices generate 80% more e-waste than refurbished alternatives. These devices also require vast amounts of water to produce, with a new smartphone requiring, on average, up to 13,000 litres of water. Given that Irish households typically own an average of eight smart devices, including laptops, smartphones, and wearables, the environmental cost of our tech consumption is considerable.
Encouragingly, Ireland recycled a record 18.1 million electronic devices last year, well surpassing the European average. However, with the proliferation of consumerism and throwaway culture, our consumption habits have become increasingly unsustainable and harmful to the planet. To combat this, we must prioritise extending the life of our products through repair and refurbishment, moving away from the take-make-waste model of the linear economy. Government intervention is key to driving this change.
Reduce the environmental impact of tech in education
As tech use continues to rise in schools and higher education institutions, the Government could introduce incentives to reduce its environmental impact. This applies both to procurement of the tech that schools themselves provide, and also tech purchased by students/parents. Every year, thousands of students enrol in undergraduate courses, with the majority needing to purchase laptops or similar devices to fulfil their educational requirements.
This demand comes at a steep environmental cost. By subsidising refurbished tech for students, the Government could offer eco-conscious alternatives, reducing the environmental damage of this technology, as well as financially benefitting students with budget-friendly options. With the average refurbished laptop saving 89% of e-waste versus a new product, and the need for intensive laptop usage dropping after course completion, government support here would be a win-win-win: lessening the linear economy, preventing unnecessary waste and financially benefiting students.
Helping businesses reduce waste
A similar approach could be applied to businesses. Many companies are eager to adopt greener practices in the workplace and reduce their environmental footprints. Government grants or subsidies for businesses that integrate circular tech into their operations would not only support these firms in becoming more sustainable, but drive demand for refurbished electronics, reducing the production of new devices and e-waste.
The Irish Government has made a positive step this year by introducing the possibility for public bodies to purchase remanufactured laptops, however this is a small step, which is missing impact. This Government procurement addition focuses solely on one electronics category and omits refurbished devices. Unfortunately, this drastically limits the impact of making positive change towards circular consumption and is an area in which I challenge the government to be more bold in their progress.
Raising public awareness
Educational initiatives are another area where the Government can play a critical role. The linear economy is so ingrained in our daily lives that we often don’t realise we are contributing to it, overlooking the environmental consequences of our consumption habits.
Targeted awareness campaigns could inform the public about the environmental hazards of general linear consumption, with the possibility to focus on specifically damaging areas such as e-waste, providing practical guidance on reducing our carbon footprints. By promoting the benefits of repair, reuse, and refurbishment, these initiatives could encourage more mindful consumption and prolong the lives of products that have already stripped resources from our planet.
Create a reduce and repair mindset
While reusable products are becoming increasingly popular, there is still a significant gap when it comes to repairing tech items. Too often, consumers discard devices once they see the newest shiny addition to the market, or at the first sign of malfunction.
This disregard for resources could be avoided either by repairing products to their lifespan or by responsible disposal, ensuring that product lives extend in the hands of other consumers. Government programmes could incentivise repair services and promote trade-in programs that refurbish old devices for others to use, again providing both environmental and financial benefits for Irish citizens. These efforts would help to shift consumer behaviour toward a more sustainable, circular model, reducing the environmental burden of tech manufacturing.
Design products that last
Designing products that last, continuing to use what we already have for as long as we can, and being mindful of our use of precious and natural resources need to be prioritised in order to foster a culture of mindful consumption and responsible production. The circular economy is an essential component of Ireland’s climate strategy.
By embracing it, we can reduce waste, conserve resources, and contribute to global efforts to mitigate climate change. At refurbed, we see clear data from our consumers that sustainability becomes even more important when married with financial benefits, especially during our current cost of living crisis.
With the Government’s commitment to more sustainable and affordable practices, we can accelerate progress toward a more circular economy – one that benefits both people and the planet.
Main image at top: Photo by Roberto Sorin on Unsplash
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