The circular economy is becoming increasingly important in the B2B sector, particularly through the use of used devices and rental models. While 30% of companies already purchase used devices such as smartphones or laptops, eleven percent make use of rental offers such as Device-as-a-Service.
This is the result of the “Undress Circularity” report, which has now been published. Everphone also contributed data to the survey.
Key findings from the Undress Circularity Report
The proportion of rental and used devices in the business environment is significantly higher than in the B2C sector, where only one percent of consumers rent devices and 21 percent use used devices.
Sustainability increasingly important in IT procurement
Sustainability is increasingly playing a key role in IT procurement in the corporate environment. For 60 percent of large companies, sustainability is even the decisive criterion – ahead of price, flexibility and convenience.
However, despite the increased acceptance of circular models, there are still barriers. Many companies have concerns about the quality of used equipment: 54% of IT managers see this as an obstacle.
Repairs
Another important aspect is the repair behavior of companies. While 70 percent of companies recycle broken devices, only just over half use external repair services. Laptops in particular are more frequently repaired internally, while smartphones are more often disposed of directly or sold on.
Nevertheless, this also shows that many unused devices are simply stored in companies: 60 percent of companies keep smartphones and laptops that are no longer needed instead of bringing them back into circulation. This behavior indicates that there is considerable untapped potential for reactivating used devices for a longer service life.
Further details can be found in the report itself: Click here to download the report.
About “Undress Circularity”
“Undress Circularity” is a consortium that focuses on issues relating to sustainability and the circular economy in device procurement. It is led by Do-Tank Circularity e. V.
The industrial alliance of Fraunhofer IZM, the German Federal Environmental Foundation and twelve industrial partners focuses on the practical implementation of the circular economy at company, industry and systemic level.
The 2024 market survey published by Undress Circularity is the first of its kind. Everphone also provided data for the survey in the B2B sector.
Report: “From Customer Insights to Circular Impact”
Circular economy models such as rental, second-hand and repair are becoming increasingly important in the electronics sector as they aim to reduce the consumption of resources and optimize the use of products.
However, despite their potential, it remains difficult to precisely quantify the actual positive impact of these models, as there is no standardized approach to date.
This is precisely where “Undress Circularity” comes in: The project aims to develop a methodological framework that can assess the environmental impact of circular economy models in the electronics sector and thus make a decisive contribution to the transition to a more sustainable circular economy.
You can download the report here.
