Online marketplace Refurbed grows and expands to the Netherlands
Refurbed, an online marketplace for refurbished electronic devices in Europe, now also has its platform in the Netherlands. With the advent of refurbed, the Netherlands has a reliable, sustainable and cheaper alternative for the purchase of electronic devices. The platform offers an extensive range in the Netherlands with more than 18,000 electronic devices from well-known brands such as Apple, Samsung, Dell, Lenovo and Huawei. The decision to exclude to the Netherlands is due to the demand from Dutch consumers for more environmentally conscious and affordable devices.
The organization has made multiple investments for expansion in Europe including the Series B financing round worth $54 million in August 2021. At present, refurbed is active in 13 countries, including Austria, Germany, Poland, Italy, Ireland, France and Sweden and now also the Netherlands. “We see that the Dutch are open to refurbished devices. They think about the impact their purchases have on the environment. But then it has to work just as well as a new one and have a good warranty on it. With refurbed we want to offer an alternative for the purchase of new products. In this way, consumers can make green choices, without having to deliver on quality and conditions such as a long guarantee,” says one of the three founders, Peter Windischofer. “Our goal is that every household in Europe uses at least one refurbished product.”
In countries where the organization is already active, refurbed the best customer satisfaction scores in the industry. Despite the fact that Dutch consumer confidence in refurbished devices, there is still much to be gained. Refurbed construction therefore acts as a platform for buyers and traders to interact with each other. The purchase contract is between the consumer and the trader. Only selected, experienced and professional traders and refurbishers are allowed to sell their goods on the platform. Peter Windischofer: “Selection and control are important in our working method. I know from experience how annoying it is to buy a second-hand phone that can break quickly and does not come with a warranty. We check and overhaul all devices according to an extensive process and offer a minimum warranty of one year and a 30-day test period, so that our customers have the certainty that they are buying a good device.”
A tree for every cell phone
Small electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets or laptops make up the bulk of electronic waste. More than 50 million tons of e-waste is produced worldwide every year. That is equivalent to about 7,342 times the weight of the Eiffel Tower. Only 20% of discarded appliances are recycled, the rest ends up in landfills or in nature. By carefully and completely overhauling these devices, up to 70% less CO2 emissions are achieved than with the production of new devices. If the current trend continues, we will already be producing 120 tons of e-waste by 2050 (Baldé et al., 2017). Unfortunately, the renovation process is not completely CO2-free. That’s why refurbed plants a tree for every product sold through their partnership with Eden Reforestation Projects. This compensates for the carbon emissions that arise during the refurbishment process of the electronics. The counter at refurbed now stands at 1.7 million trees spread over Haiti, Madagascar, Kenya, Indonesia, Mozambique or Nepal.
Photo: founders of refurbished. From left to right: Juergen Riedl, Kilian Kaminski, Peter Windischhofer