Trends in Circular Economy Practices in Tech

I’m pleased to share a new white paper "Scaling the Circular Economy for Electronics: Why Every Company Needs a Platform Strategy".  I co-authored this paper with Guennael Delorme, an expert in trade-in programs, reverse logistics and asset recovery value maximization. Electronics play an essential role in business productivity and innovation. You can’t run a company without a wide array of electronic devices from laptops to network equipment. However, most organizations still treat the retirement of these assets as a cost, rather than an opportunity to recover value. In this paper, we introduce the concept of the "circularity delta," a metric that highlights the gap between a company’s hardware spending and the value recovered from asset disposition. Traditional approaches typically recover only 10–15% of hardware spend, but by adopting purpose-built circular platforms, companies can increase recovery rates transforming IT asset retirement from a cost center into a revenue generator. We also explain the important role that digital recommerce platforms play in enabling the circular economy in electronics. These platforms connect buyers and sellers of used, refurbished, or recycled equipment, facilitate secure transactions, automate compliance documentation, and often offer value-added services such as repair and buyback programs. By implementing circular platform strategies, companies can reduce their environmental impact, comply with evolving regulations, and unlock new revenue streams. The white paper concludes that every business should adopt a platform strategy for electronics circularity, as this not only addresses environmental and compliance challenges but also provides significant financial and reputational benefits, ultimately turning electronic assets from a liability into a competitive advantage. Companies discussed in this paper include: AUCNET INC., Amazon Resale, Back Market, BidFTA Online Auctions, B-Stock, Callisto Group, eBay Refurbished, Flipkart, Jumia Group, NorthLadder, Recycle Global Exchange (RGX) , Shopee and Xianyu (Alibaba Group). There are, of course many other recommerce platforms that can be tapped. We would like to thank the Circular Fractional Network for their support as well as All Things Circular.  #circulareconomy #platformstrategy #reverselogistics #circularlogistics #innovation #ITAD #ewaste #electronics #businessmodelinovation Reverse Logistics Association

Recycling is only 10% of the circular economy equation. Here’s where 90% of businesses are missing out: 1. Design for Disassembly Stop designing products just to last, design them to come apart easily. Experts build things that can be disassembled, repaired, and reused. That’s how you keep materials in the game for the long haul. 2. Material Passports Imagine if every product had a “passport” tracking what it’s made of. Experts use Material Passports to know exactly how to reuse each component. This hidden gem saves time, resources, and keeps everything in circulation. 3. Product-as-a-Service Why sell a product when you can lease it? Forward-thinkers aren’t just selling products—they’re renting them out, keeping control of maintenance and recycling. Customers get what they need, and companies keep the materials. Win-win. 4. Regenerative Sourcing Circularity isn’t just about not harming the planet. It’s about making it better. Experts use regenerative sourcing, like farming methods that actually improve soil health. It’s about giving back more than you take. 5. Industrial Symbiosis In the circular economy, companies don’t work in isolation. They collaborate. One company’s waste is another’s input. Think a brewery’s waste turning into biofuel for a neighboring factory. It’s next-level efficiency. 6. Closed-Loop Supply Chains Forget the old-school supply chain. Experts create closed loops where products, parts, and materials are cycled back into production. This means zero waste, but it also means rethinking how you handle logistics. 7. Removing Toxic Materials You can’t have a true circular economy if the materials you recycle are harmful. Experts are focusing on eliminating toxic substances from their supply chains. It’s not just about recycling, it’s about making sure what gets reused is safe. 8. Local Manufacturing Circular pros aren’t thinking global, they’re thinking local. By building products closer to where they’ll be used, companies cut emissions and create regional production loops. It’s sustainability at the local level. 9. Blockchain for Transparency Circularity is about trust, and trust comes from transparency. Experts are using blockchain to track every stage of a product’s life, from raw material to recycling. Total transparency = total accountability. 10. Biofabrication The future isn’t just about reusing materials, it’s about growing them. Experts are diving into biofabrication, growing materials like fungi-based leather or algae-based plastics. It’s cutting-edge and completely circular. The circular economy is about thinking differently. It’s about building systems where everything has a second life. Are you ready to go beyond the basics?

𝘾𝙞𝙧𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙧 𝙀𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙢𝙮, 𝙄𝙏𝘼𝘿 & 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙘 𝘽𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙩 𝙉𝙤 𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙊𝙬𝙣𝙨 Everyone talks about circularity. But too often, it lives 2–3 levels below where it should. Circular operations—whether ITAD, trade-in, repair, asset recovery, or resale—aren’t just sustainability checkboxes. They touch: ✅ Margin recovery ✅ Customer experience ✅ Compliance and risk ✅ Brand trust ✅ OEM relationships ✅ And real revenue Would we treat any other function like that as an afterthought? These programs may live in ops or after-sales, but they directly influence customer decisions, brand perception, and partner outcomes: ✅ Trade-in impacts purchase intent. ✅ ITAD shapes enterprise renewals. ✅ Refurb and resale open new channels. ✅ Asset recovery protects OEM value. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒈𝒐-𝒕𝒐-𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒕. And it deserves to be treated—and led—that way. OEMs like Dell, HP, Lenovo, Sony or Samsung aren’t looking for more vendors. They want partners who understand value protection, lifecycle design, secure recovery, and long-term stewardship. That doesn’t come from chasing dollars. It comes from maturity, operational clarity, and systems thinking. Circular execution deserves visibility at the highest level. Not just because it’s sustainable— 𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙘. #CircularEconomy #ReverseLogistics #ITAD #Sustainability #Leadership #OEMPartnerships #CX #GTM #SystemsThinking