Sebastian Holmström, Circular Strategy Lead at Inrego talks about how the reuse of electronics contributes to more circular management of IT products.
This case is part of the Circular Electronics Day 2021 best practices series. Multiple organizations stand behind this initiative that takes place on January 24 with the aim to encourage organizations and consumers to take a more responsible approach to electronics.
What is Inrego?
Inrego’s business model is to maximize the use of used electronics to minimize the impact used IT products have on the environment. We buy used IT products, upgrade and repair them to give them a new life for new users. We want to change how computers, smartphones and other tech are handled in society. We are one of the global leaders on this market. We currently have 200 employees working at our Swedish headquarters. We operate in more than 90 countries and together with our partners we continue to make a difference around the globe.
What is the benefit of refurbished electronics?
There are several benefits to refurbish. It is a win-win-win for society, nature, and businesses. The increased societal interest in the environmental and economic benefits of reusing IT results in more people changing their electronic consumption.
Around 80 percent of the environmental impact occurs in the manufacturing phase of IT products. Therefore, every computer and cellphone that is scrapped is a failure. We are at a turning point where more materials can be reused, and today’s waste becomes tomorrow’s products. We need to develop the circular system so that it can compete with the linear economy that has been optimized over the past 100 years. Besides the environmental benefits, the ability to get affordable qualitative products are some of the additional benefits of reused IT.
What major trends have you seen during 2020?
The demand for second hand electronics has never been greater. Our business concept is to maximize the reuse of computers and phones and we have seen record sales in recent months. At the same time, we feel that demand is significantly greater than supply – companies must start hand in for reuse instead of recycling.
The market potential is great and during the past 25 years, demand has always been greater than supply. Getting companies or organizations to hand in for reuse instead of recycling their IT equipment is ongoing work for us. It’s not universally known that older IT products hold a high resale value and that the climate benefits are huge.
What are your key recommendations for a more circular IT management?
Use your products for longer, and when you are done using them, make sure someone else can. These are the two most important things you can do. Keeping the embedded value intact for as long as possible is not only great for the environment, but it also makes sense economically.
Therefore, ensure that the products are used for as long as possible by taking actions to extend their usable lifetime.. If you are purchasing new, make sure it is fairly produced and durable. Ask yourself if a brand new product will make you better at your job. When turning towards a circular economy we need to take a deeper look into the functions of the products and what they deliver. Take second hand electronics into consideration when purchasing new products for your organization!
Lastly, always make sure that your old IT gets a second life and that you get paid for the value that it still has. Large amounts of functional IT products are disposed of or stored until they have completely lost their value. In the past year, we accepted more than 350 000 units of IT products for reuse. The demand for refurbished IT is there!
About Inrego
Inrego wants to contribute to a better world by maximizing the reuse of used IT equipment and in a sustainable way giving people access to IT to develop themselves and their environment. The impact of IT equipment on the climate must be minimized and more products must be reused instead of being sent for recycling. For 25 years, Inrego has globally led the way to increase the reuse of IT products. We are a global market leader within ITAD (IT Asset Disposition) with 190 employees. We deliver and buy from more than 90 countries and together with our partners we continue to make a difference all around the globe.
