Interview: practitioners on repair, reuse & refurbishment

The European repair and refurbishment economy reached €36 billion in 2024, with projections indicating a compound annual growth rate of 12.3% through 2030. Yet behind these figures lies a more nuanced story: practitioners across the continent are grappling with the tension between ambitious regulatory mandates and the operational realities of scaling circular business models. In conversations with repair technicians, refurbishment facility managers, and sustainability officers from leading European enterprises, a consistent theme emerges—the metrics that matter for proving environmental impact are rapidly evolving, and buyers are demanding unprecedented transparency.

Why It Matters

The repair, reuse, and refurbishment sector represents one of the most tangible pathways to reducing Europe's material footprint while creating local employment. According to the European Environment Agency's 2024 Circular Economy Monitoring Report, extending the lifespan of products by just one year across ten product categories could reduce annual CO2 emissions by 27 million tonnes—equivalent to taking 15 million cars off the road.

The policy landscape has fundamentally shifted. The EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), adopted in 2024, mandates that manufacturers provide spare parts, repair manuals, and software updates for minimum periods ranging from 7 to 15 years depending on product category. The accompanying Digital Product Passport (DPP) requirements, phased in from 2027, will create a standardized data infrastructure that tracks products throughout their lifecycle—a development that practitioners describe as both an opportunity and a compliance burden.

From an economic perspective, the refurbished electronics market alone generated €12.4 billion in European revenue during 2024, representing 8.7% of total consumer electronics sales. This penetration rate has doubled since 2021, driven by cost-conscious consumers facing inflationary pressures and a growing cohort of environmentally motivated buyers. Research from the Fraunhofer Institute indicates that refurbished smartphones carry 78% lower embodied carbon compared to new devices, making them a compelling proposition for corporate procurement teams pursuing Scope 3 emissions reductions.

The employment implications are equally significant. The European Commission estimates that achieving a 50% increase in repair activity by 2030 would create 480,000 new jobs across the bloc, predominantly in small and medium enterprises. These positions tend to be localized, resistant to automation, and accessible to workers without advanced technical degrees—characteristics that align with just transition objectives.

Key Concepts

Carbon Intensity Metrics: Practitioners increasingly measure repair and refurbishment impact through carbon intensity calculations—specifically, the kilograms of CO2 equivalent avoided per euro of economic activity. Leading refurbishment operations now report averages of 0.8-1.2 kg CO2e saved per euro of refurbished goods sold. This metric enables meaningful comparison across product categories and provides procurement teams with standardized data for emissions accounting.

Grid Decarbonization Alignment: The environmental benefit of repair and refurbishment operations depends partly on the carbon intensity of the electricity grid powering those facilities. A refurbishment center in Sweden operating on predominantly hydroelectric power achieves different absolute emissions reductions than an equivalent facility in Poland relying on coal-fired generation. Progressive practitioners now report location-adjusted impact metrics that account for regional grid carbon intensity, typically ranging from 20-50 gCO2e/kWh in Nordic countries to 400-600 gCO2e/kWh in coal-dependent regions.

Policy Harmonization Indices: With repair regulations varying across EU member states—from France's repairability index to Germany's warranty extension debates—practitioners track policy harmonization as a key operational variable. The Brussels-based Right to Repair Europe coalition has developed a scoring methodology assessing regulatory alignment across 12 dimensions, which buyers increasingly reference when selecting refurbishment partners.

Biodiversity Co-Benefits: Extending product lifespans reduces demand for virgin material extraction, which carries significant biodiversity implications. Practitioners in the electronics sector now quantify avoided mining impact using frameworks developed by the Responsible Minerals Initiative, expressing results in terms of hectares of habitat preserved or species threat indices avoided.

Offset Equivalency Calculations: Some buyers evaluate refurbishment services against carbon offset alternatives. A refurbished laptop avoiding 200 kg CO2e of emissions provides equivalent climate benefit to 0.2 tonnes of verified carbon credits. This framing helps procurement teams assess value propositions, though practitioners caution against conflating avoided emissions with removal-based offsets in corporate accounting.

What's Working and What Isn't

What's Working

Standardized Grading Systems for Refurbished Products: The adoption of consistent quality grading—typically A/B/C classifications based on cosmetic condition and functionality—has substantially reduced buyer uncertainty. Back Market's implementation of a unified grading protocol across its 1,500 European seller network increased conversion rates by 34% between 2023 and 2024. Practitioners report that transparency around grading methodology, including photographic documentation and functionality test results, directly correlates with customer trust scores and repeat purchase rates.

Manufacturer Take-Back Programs with Residual Value Sharing: Apple's Trade-In program, which operates across all EU markets, demonstrates how manufacturers can capture reverse logistics volume while providing consumers with meaningful incentives. In 2024, Apple processed 4.2 million device returns across Europe, with average trade-in values of €127—funds that predominantly flowed into new device purchases. The circular economy practitioners we interviewed emphasized that manufacturer involvement legitimizes refurbishment and provides access to original parts and diagnostic tools that independent operators often lack.

Extended Warranty Legislation Driving Design Changes: France's requirement that sellers inform consumers about product repairability scores has demonstrably influenced design decisions. Samsung's 2024 Galaxy devices achieved repairability scores of 8.2/10, up from 6.1/10 in 2021, driven by modular component design and accessible fasteners. Practitioners in the independent repair sector report corresponding reductions in repair time—averaging 23% faster completion for high-scoring devices—which improves unit economics and customer satisfaction.

Corporate Procurement Mandates for Refurbished IT: Major European enterprises including Unilever, Siemens, and Carrefour have established formal policies requiring minimum refurbished product percentages in IT procurement. Siemens's 2024 target of 30% refurbished laptop deployment across its European operations has created predictable demand that enables refurbishment partners to invest in capacity expansion. These corporate commitments typically include audit rights and emissions verification requirements that elevate standards across the sector.

What Isn't Working

Fragmented Spare Parts Availability: Despite ESPR mandates, practitioners consistently identify spare parts access as the primary operational bottleneck. Independent repair shops report average wait times of 14-21 days for non-OEM parts, compared to 2-3 days for authorized service centers. The price differential is equally problematic—original Samsung display assemblies for recent Galaxy models retail at €280-340, representing 60-70% of refurbished device selling prices. Until parts markets achieve greater liquidity and price competition, repair economics will remain challenging for numerous product categories.

Software Locks and Pairing Requirements: Apple's parts pairing protocols, which cryptographically bind components to specific devices, effectively prevent many repairs from restoring full functionality. A replaced iPhone battery or display may trigger persistent warning messages or disable features like True Tone display calibration. Practitioners describe this as "functional degradation by design"—a pattern that undermines repair viability even when physical parts are available. The EU's Digital Markets Act provisions addressing interoperability have not yet substantively addressed these hardware-software dependencies.

Consumer Awareness Gaps: Despite years of advocacy, consumer understanding of repair options remains limited. A 2024 Eurobarometer survey found that only 37% of European consumers knew about independent repair services for electronics, and 64% incorrectly believed that repairs would void manufacturer warranties. This awareness gap directs significant repair volume to authorized networks, often at premium prices that make replacement economically rational even when repair would be environmentally preferable.

Inconsistent Emissions Accounting Standards: Corporate buyers seeking to claim Scope 3 emissions reductions from refurbished product procurement encounter methodological fragmentation. GHG Protocol guidance on avoided emissions remains ambiguous, and life cycle assessment databases employ varying system boundaries. Practitioners report that 40% of potential corporate clients request customized LCA studies rather than accepting standard impact estimates—a due diligence burden that delays sales cycles and increases transaction costs.

Key Players

Established Leaders

Back Market (Paris, France): Europe's largest refurbished electronics marketplace, processing over €800 million in annual transaction volume across 17 European markets. The platform connects 1,500 certified refurbishers with consumers, providing quality assurance through its unified grading system and 24-month warranty program. Back Market's 2024 Series E funding valued the company at €5.7 billion.

Foxway Group (Stockholm, Sweden): The Nordic region's leading IT lifecycle management company, handling 3 million devices annually across refurbishment, data erasure, and remarketing services. Foxway operates certified facilities in Sweden, Estonia, and Germany, serving enterprise clients including government agencies and Fortune 500 corporations. The company's proprietary carbon accounting methodology has become an industry benchmark.

IKEA Circular Hub (Delft, Netherlands): IKEA's buy-back and resale initiative operates across 27 European countries, with dedicated in-store circular hubs processing returned furniture for refurbishment and resale. In 2024, the program diverted 2.3 million product units from landfill, generating €156 million in resale revenue. IKEA's commitment to becoming fully circular by 2030 positions this initiative for substantial expansion.

Recommerce Group (Bordeaux, France): A B2B refurbishment and trade-in solutions provider working with major retailers and telecom operators across Europe. Recommerce processes 8 million devices annually through its automated grading and refurbishment facilities. The company's white-label programs power trade-in services for Orange, Vodafone, and MediaMarkt.

Renewi (Milton Keynes, UK / Rotterdam, Netherlands): A waste-to-product company operating across Northern Europe, with significant investments in material recovery and product refurbishment. Renewi's 2024 revenue reached €2.1 billion, with growing emphasis on higher-value circular economy services including electronics recycling and component harvesting.

Emerging Startups

Grover (Berlin, Germany): A consumer electronics subscription platform offering rental access to smartphones, laptops, and other devices with full lifecycle management. Grover's model maximizes product utilization rates—devices circulate through 4-6 subscription cycles—while providing consumers with flexibility and upgrade options. The company raised €330 million in Series C funding in 2023.

Swappie (Helsinki, Finland): A vertically integrated refurbished smartphone specialist that performs all refurbishment in-house at its Finnish facility. Swappie's direct-to-consumer model and 36-month warranty differentiate the brand in quality-sensitive markets. The company expanded to 15 European countries by 2024 with annual revenue exceeding €200 million.

Murfy (Paris, France): An appliance repair marketplace connecting consumers with vetted technicians for washing machines, dishwashers, and refrigerators. Murfy's platform handles scheduling, parts sourcing, and quality guarantee, reducing friction in the repair journey. The company completed 180,000 repairs in 2024, with average customer savings of €300 compared to replacement.

Refurbed (Vienna, Austria): An online marketplace for refurbished electronics operating across German-speaking Europe. Refurbed emphasizes environmental certification, planting trees for each transaction through its "refurbed planet" initiative. The company achieved €250 million in gross merchandise value in 2024.

reCircle Solutions (Amsterdam, Netherlands): A B2B platform providing repair and refurbishment logistics software for manufacturers and retailers. reCircle's technology enables brands to launch take-back programs without building in-house infrastructure, managing reverse logistics, repair routing, and remarketing. The company secured €18 million in Series A funding in 2024.

Key Investors & Funders

Circularity Capital (Edinburgh, UK): A specialist private equity firm focused exclusively on circular economy businesses, with €400 million under management across two funds. Portfolio companies span repair, remanufacturing, and resource recovery sectors.

European Investment Bank (EIB) (Luxembourg): The EU's financing institution has committed €1.8 billion to circular economy projects through its Circular Economy Initiative, including direct lending and credit enhancement for repair and refurbishment infrastructure.

Eurazeo (Paris, France): A leading European investment firm with significant circular economy exposure through its Growth and Private Equity funds. Eurazeo's portfolio includes Back Market and several industrial circular economy platforms.

EQT (Stockholm, Sweden): One of Europe's largest private equity firms, with circular economy investments across its infrastructure and ventures strategies. EQT's 2024 acquisition of a major European IT asset disposition company signaled increased focus on the sector.

European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (Luxembourg): A €300 million fund backed by the EIB and various national promotional banks, investing in circular bioeconomy ventures including bio-based materials that enhance product repairability and recyclability.

Examples

1. Siemens Enterprise IT Refurbishment Program (Munich, Germany): In 2024, Siemens implemented a comprehensive refurbished IT procurement policy across its European operations, targeting 30% refurbished devices for standard employee deployments. Partnering with Foxway for device sourcing and lifecycle management, Siemens procured 45,000 refurbished laptops—achieving verified Scope 3 emissions reductions of 6,750 tonnes CO2e compared to new device procurement. The program generated €4.2 million in procurement savings while maintaining 99.1% employee satisfaction ratings. Siemens publishes quarterly impact reports aligned with GRI standards, providing transparency that has influenced peer companies to consider similar initiatives.

2. French Repairability Index Implementation (National Scale): France's mandatory repairability scoring system, implemented in 2021 and expanded in 2024, now covers smartphones, laptops, televisions, washing machines, and lawnmowers. Post-implementation analysis by ADEME (the French Environment Agency) found that products scoring 7/10 or higher experienced 18% higher sales growth than lower-scoring alternatives. The index has demonstrably influenced design—average smartphone repairability scores increased from 5.6/10 in 2021 to 7.1/10 in 2024. Independent repair volumes grew 23% in indexed categories, with practitioners crediting enhanced spare parts availability mandated alongside scoring requirements.

3. Amsterdam Repair Café Network (Amsterdam, Netherlands): Amsterdam's network of 47 community repair cafés, coordinated by Repair Café International Foundation, performed 34,000 volunteer-assisted repairs in 2024. Municipal support—including €450,000 in annual funding and provision of community space—enables free repair services for residents. Impact assessment conducted by the University of Amsterdam found that 71% of repaired items remained in use 12 months later, preventing an estimated 85 tonnes of waste. The model has been replicated in 2,400 locations across 40 countries, demonstrating scalability of community-based repair infrastructure.

Action Checklist

• Establish baseline metrics for current product lifespan across key procurement categories using historical purchase and disposal data
• Evaluate supplier capability for refurbished product provision, requesting documentation of quality grading methodologies and warranty terms
• Develop internal carbon accounting methodology for avoided emissions from repair and refurbishment, ensuring alignment with GHG Protocol Scope 3 guidance
• Assess spare parts availability risk for critical equipment categories by surveying independent parts suppliers and OEM authorized channels
• Implement pilot refurbished IT procurement program with defined scope, success metrics, and employee feedback mechanisms
• Engage legal counsel on warranty and liability implications of refurbished product deployment in professional contexts
• Map upcoming regulatory requirements under ESPR and DPP timelines, identifying compliance deadlines and preparation needs
• Establish partnerships with certified repair and refurbishment providers, including site visits and quality audits
• Train procurement teams on circular economy evaluation criteria, including total cost of ownership calculations that incorporate residual value
• Report refurbishment and repair activities in sustainability disclosures, using standardized metrics that enable peer comparison

FAQ

Q: How do we verify the environmental claims made by refurbishment providers? A: Verification requires multiple layers of due diligence. Request life cycle assessment documentation that specifies system boundaries, data sources, and allocation methodologies. Leading providers use third-party verified LCAs compliant with ISO 14040/14044 standards. Cross-reference claimed emissions factors against established databases such as Ecoinvent or GaBi. For operational verification, request certifications including R2 (Responsible Recycling), e-Stewards, or ADISA for data security. Site visits to refurbishment facilities can confirm process quality, and reference checks with existing customers provide performance validation. Emerging digital product passport infrastructure will eventually enable automated verification, but current best practice remains manual audit.

Q: What warranty protections should we expect for refurbished equipment? A: Market-leading refurbishment providers offer 24-36 month warranties on refurbished electronics, exceeding the 24-month statutory warranty for new goods in most EU jurisdictions. Warranty terms should explicitly cover battery capacity (typically guaranteed above 80% of original), functional defects in all components, and cosmetic issues beyond the stated grade. Examine warranty claim processes—responsive providers offer advance replacement rather than repair-first protocols. For enterprise deployments, negotiate service level agreements specifying maximum response and resolution times. Extended warranty options are commonly available at 2-4% of purchase price per additional year, representing reasonable insurance against premature failure.

Q: How do refurbished products perform compared to new equivalents in demanding professional applications? A: Performance equivalence depends heavily on refurbishment quality and original product specification. Enterprise-grade refurbished laptops from reputable providers—typically former corporate fleet devices with 1-3 years of prior use—perform identically to new devices for standard business applications including productivity software, video conferencing, and browser-based workflows. Battery life may be reduced by 10-20% depending on prior usage patterns and replacement policy. For compute-intensive applications, verify that processors and memory meet current software requirements. Graphics-intensive work may require newer hardware generations for driver compatibility. Testing protocols should match actual use cases rather than theoretical specifications.

Q: What are the data security implications of deploying refurbished IT equipment? A: Data security risk management for refurbished IT requires attention to both prior and future state. Ensure refurbishment providers hold certifications for secure data destruction (ADISA, NIST 800-88 compliance) and request certificates of data erasure for all devices. Modern secure erase protocols render previous data unrecoverable when properly implemented. For forward-looking security, refurbished devices should receive current operating system images and security patches before deployment. Verify that firmware (BIOS/UEFI) can be updated and that secure boot capabilities function correctly. Some organizations implement additional controls including hardware security modules or trusted platform module verification. Enterprise mobile device management solutions apply equally to refurbished and new hardware.

Q: How will the Digital Product Passport requirements affect refurbishment operations? A: The Digital Product Passport framework, phasing in from 2027 under ESPR, will fundamentally reshape refurbishment data infrastructure. Products will carry unique identifiers linked to digital records containing material composition, repair history, component origins, and environmental impact data. For refurbishment operations, DPPs enable automated component verification, streamlined parts sourcing through standardized identification, and transparent provenance documentation for buyers. Compliance will require technology investments in scanning infrastructure, data management systems, and integration with EU data spaces. Forward-thinking refurbishment providers are already implementing product-level tracking that anticipates DPP requirements, positioning them advantageously as mandates take effect. The standardization should reduce transaction costs and buyer uncertainty, ultimately expanding the addressable market for refurbished goods.

Sources

• European Environment Agency. (2024). Circular Economy Monitoring Report: Material Flows and Resource Efficiency in Europe. Copenhagen: EEA Publications.

• European Commission. (2024). Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation: Impact Assessment and Implementation Guidance. Brussels: Publications Office of the European Union.

• Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration. (2024). Life Cycle Assessment of Refurbished Consumer Electronics: Comparative Analysis Across Product Categories. Berlin: Fraunhofer Verlag.

• ADEME (French Environment and Energy Management Agency). (2024). Repairability Index: Three-Year Implementation Review and Market Impact Analysis. Paris: ADEME Editions.

• European Commission Directorate-General for Environment. (2024). Employment Effects of Circular Economy Policies: Quantitative Assessment and Regional Distribution Analysis. Brussels: Publications Office of the European Union.

• Right to Repair Europe Coalition. (2024). Policy Harmonization Index: Comparative Assessment of Repair Regulations Across EU Member States. Brussels: Right to Repair Europe.

• Eurobarometer. (2024). Consumer Attitudes Toward Sustainable Consumption and the Circular Economy. Brussels: European Commission.