Trend watch: repair, reuse & refurbishment in 2026

The global repair and maintenance market reached $1.72 trillion in 2025, with projections to hit $2.34 trillion by 2029 at a 7.9% CAGR. Meanwhile, the refurbished retail market has surged to $137.2 billion, expected to more than double to $335.3 billion by 2033. For procurement professionals, these figures signal a fundamental shift: repair, reuse, and refurbishment are no longer niche sustainability initiatives but core strategies for cost optimization, supply chain resilience, and regulatory compliance.

Why It Matters

The circular economy—valued between $450 billion and $2.7 trillion globally in 2024 depending on scope—is being driven by converging forces that procurement teams can no longer ignore. The EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), adopted in Q2 2024, mandates digital product passports and repairability requirements across multiple product categories. Right-to-repair legislation has gained momentum in both Europe and the United States, fundamentally altering manufacturer obligations and creating new sourcing opportunities.

For US-based procurement organizations, the implications are profound. According to 2024 consumer research, 70% of American consumers now choose repair over replacement primarily for cost savings. This consumer shift is matched by enterprise buyers: 95% of multinationals now require supplier certifications related to sustainability, and ISO-certified businesses are 50% more likely to win international contracts (Burraq Consulting, 2024).

The financial case is equally compelling. Organizations implementing repair and refurbishment programs report 30% reductions in operational waste, while product-as-a-service models have seen 35% adoption increases across industries. For procurement leaders, these trends translate into tangible savings, reduced supply chain risk, and competitive advantage in markets increasingly shaped by circular economy principles.

Sector	Market Size (2024)	CAGR	Key Driver
General Repair & Maintenance	$1.72T	7.9%	Predictive maintenance, AI integration
Consumer Electronics Repair	$154.78B	6.42%	Right-to-repair laws, DIY culture
Refurbished Retail	$137.2B	10.37%	Cost consciousness, sustainability preferences
Circular Economy (Total)	$450B-2.7T	11-23%	Regulation, ESG mandates, resource scarcity

Key Concepts

Right-to-Repair Standards have emerged as the cornerstone of procurement evaluation. The EU's ESPR establishes minimum repairability requirements, while US states including California, New York, and Minnesota have enacted their own legislation. These standards require manufacturers to provide access to repair manuals, diagnostic tools, and spare parts for defined periods—typically 7-10 years for major appliances. Procurement teams must now assess supplier compliance with these requirements as part of vendor qualification.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks are reshaping product lifecycle economics. Under EPR, manufacturers bear responsibility for end-of-life product management, creating incentives for design-for-repair and take-back programs. California's SB 707 (September 2025) established textile EPR requirements, joining existing frameworks for electronics, batteries, and packaging. For procurement, EPR compliance should factor into total cost of ownership calculations.

Certified Refurbishment Programs provide quality assurance critical for enterprise buyers. Major technology manufacturers including Apple, Google, and ASUS have launched certified refurbished programs with warranty coverage comparable to new products. ITOCHU's November 2024 partnership with Google for certified refurbished device distribution exemplifies how established distribution channels are legitimizing the refurbished market.

Circular Procurement Frameworks offer structured approaches to evaluation. ISO 20400 (Sustainable Procurement) provides guidance, while sector-specific frameworks like the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's procurement guidelines offer practical implementation tools. These frameworks emphasize lifecycle assessment, supplier engagement, and measurable circularity metrics.

What's Working and What Isn't

What's Working

Manufacturer Refurbishment Programs: Apple's Trade-In and Certified Refurbished program processes millions of devices annually, with the company's robotic disassembly systems now recovering 98% of critical minerals (Apple Environmental Progress Report, March 2025). This demonstrates that scale and quality are achievable when manufacturers commit to circular models. For procurement, these programs offer reliable supply with warranty protection and verified specifications.

Predictive Maintenance Integration: IoT-enabled monitoring combined with AI-driven analytics has transformed repair from reactive to proactive. Caterpillar's Cat Connect platform monitors equipment conditions across global fleets, reducing unplanned downtime by 25% and extending asset lifespans by an average of 3 years. Procurement teams increasingly evaluate equipment based on maintenance intelligence capabilities, not just acquisition cost.

B2B Refurbishment Ecosystems: Platforms like Back Market (consumer electronics) and IRenew (enterprise IT) have professionalized the refurbished market, providing transparent grading systems, warranties, and corporate procurement integration. IRenew reported 40% year-over-year growth in enterprise contracts during 2024, indicating mainstream adoption.

What Isn't Working

Inconsistent Quality Standards: Despite progress, the refurbished market remains fragmented. A 2024 Consumer Reports investigation found significant quality variance among non-certified refurbishers, with 23% of tested devices showing undisclosed defects. For procurement, this underscores the importance of verified certification programs over price-driven sourcing.

Spare Parts Availability: Despite right-to-repair legislation, parts availability remains problematic for many product categories. A 2024 iFixit analysis found that average spare part availability declined from 62% to 54% for smartphone models between 2020-2024, as manufacturers increased product complexity while reducing repair infrastructure. Procurement specifications should include parts availability guarantees.

Data Security Concerns: Enterprise adoption of refurbished IT equipment is constrained by data security requirements. While certified programs include data sanitization protocols, many organizations lack confidence in third-party processes. NIST SP 800-88 compliance should be a minimum requirement for any IT refurbishment sourcing.

Key Players

Established Leaders

Apple operates the most vertically integrated refurbishment program among consumer electronics manufacturers, with dedicated recycling robots (Daisy, Dave) and certified refurbished sales approaching $10 billion annually.

Caterpillar pioneered remanufacturing in heavy equipment, operating dedicated Cat Reman facilities that restore components to original specifications with full warranty coverage.

IKEA launched furniture-as-a-service subscription in February 2025, complementing existing Buy Back programs across 27 countries that accept used furniture for resale or recycling.

Emerging Startups

Back Market (France) has become the largest refurbished electronics marketplace, valued at $5.7 billion following its 2022 funding round, with particular strength in European markets.

Reebelo (Singapore) operates across Asia-Pacific with a certified refurbished model, launching ReebeloCare in partnership with SquareTrade in 2024—a 24-month device refresh subscription service.

iFixit provides repair guides, tools, and advocacy for right-to-repair legislation, operating as both a social enterprise and a commercial parts/tools supplier serving DIY and professional repair markets.

Key Investors & Funders

Circularity Capital focuses exclusively on circular economy investments, with portfolio companies spanning repair, refurbishment, and remanufacturing.

The European Investment Fund provides guarantees and equity investment supporting circular economy SMEs, with over €500 million deployed to date.

SUEZ Ventures invests in circular economy technologies, notably acquiring a 20% stake in Renault's "The Future Is NEUTRAL" platform (October 2024) focused on automotive circular economy.

Examples

Dell's Closed-Loop Recycling Program: Dell has integrated recovered plastics and metals into new products since 2014, now processing over 2 billion pounds of recycled materials annually. Their Asset Recovery Services provide enterprise customers with certified data destruction and asset disposition, creating a circular procurement pathway where organizations can specify recycled content requirements and receive credits for returned equipment (Dell Corporate Sustainability Report, 2025).
Schneider Electric's Circular Equipment Services: Schneider operates dedicated repair and refurbishment centers for electrical equipment, offering customers lifecycle extension services that reduce total cost of ownership by 15-25%. Their "EcoFit" program refurbishes switchgear and transformers to original specifications with 5-year warranties, demonstrating that industrial equipment can achieve multiple lifecycles with proper maintenance and refurbishment infrastructure (Schneider Electric, 2024).
Philips Healthcare Refurbished Systems: Philips operates Diamond Select refurbishment facilities for medical imaging equipment, where systems undergo complete restoration with updated software and component replacement. Refurbished MRI and CT scanners sell at 30-50% below new equipment pricing with equivalent performance warranties, making advanced imaging accessible to smaller healthcare facilities while extending equipment productive life from 7 to 15+ years (Philips Healthcare, 2024).

Action Checklist

Audit current procurement specifications for repairability and refurbishability requirements across all equipment categories
Develop total cost of ownership models that incorporate maintenance, repair, and end-of-life costs alongside acquisition price
Establish approved vendor lists for certified refurbished equipment, requiring documented quality processes and warranty terms
Include spare parts availability guarantees and repair documentation requirements in supplier contracts
Integrate EPR compliance assessment into vendor qualification processes, particularly for electronics and textile categories
Pilot product-as-a-service procurement models for equipment categories with high maintenance requirements or rapid obsolescence

FAQ

Q: How do refurbished products compare to new in terms of reliability and warranty coverage? A: Certified refurbished products from manufacturer programs typically carry warranties of 1-2 years—sometimes matching new product coverage. Reliability depends heavily on refurbishment quality; manufacturer and certified third-party programs generally achieve failure rates within 5% of new product benchmarks. Non-certified refurbished products present higher risk and should be evaluated carefully.

Q: What right-to-repair requirements apply to procurement decisions? A: EU ESPR requires manufacturers to provide repair information, spare parts, and tools for defined periods. US requirements vary by state: California, New York, Minnesota, and Colorado have enacted electronics right-to-repair laws, while federal legislation remains pending. Procurement teams should verify supplier compliance with applicable jurisdictions and include parts availability guarantees in contracts.

Q: How should organizations evaluate total cost of ownership for repair vs. replacement decisions? A: Comprehensive TCO analysis should include acquisition cost, energy consumption, maintenance and repair costs, downtime costs, disposal costs, and any applicable EPR fees. For many equipment categories, extending asset life through repair delivers 20-40% savings compared to replacement cycles, though this varies significantly by product type and condition.

Q: What certifications should procurement require for refurbished equipment vendors? A: Key certifications include R2 (Responsible Recycling) and e-Stewards for electronics recyclers, ISO 14001 for environmental management, and manufacturer-specific certifications (Apple Authorized Service Provider, Dell Certified Refurbisher, etc.). For IT equipment, require NIST SP 800-88 compliance for data sanitization.

Sources

The Business Research Company. (2024). Repair and Maintenance Global Market Report 2025.
IMARC Group. (2024). Global Refurbished Retail Market Report.
Apple Inc. (2025). Environmental Progress Report.
iFixit. (2024). State of Repair: Annual Repairability Analysis.
Burraq Consulting. (2024). Global ISO Certification Trends: Insights from IAF's ISO Survey.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2024). Circular Procurement Guidelines for Enterprise Buyers.