French retailer Carrefour has teamed up with Back Market and ecoATM, a technology expert in automatic smartphone recycling, to offer consumers an in-store mobile phone appraisal and exchange service.
More than 50 kiosks are already in operation at various Carrefour hypermarkets and supermarkets in the country, and 135 will be put into service by the end of the year.
Elodie Perthuisot, executive director of e-commerce, data and digital transformation of the Carrefour group, said: “With this new partnership, Carrefour takes a step towards the circular economy and strengthens its commitments to sustainable development.
“This innovative service is designed to enrich the customer’s in-store experience and at the same time increase their purchasing power.”
Smartphone recycling kiosks
The association aims to raise awareness about the circular economy in France by encouraging them to resell their old mobile phones.
The collaboration consists of easy-to-use recycling kiosks, located inside Carrefour stores, where customers can value their old smartphones and exchange them immediately for Carrefour gift vouchers.
The initiative will help protect the purchasing power of people in France, as well as promote a more widespread use of refurbished appliances, while supplying the production chain, Carrefour noted.
Read more: Carrefour is looking to become a “global leader” in digital retail
Electronic waste
Resale of devices is vital to deal with the assembly of electrical and electronic waste.
It is estimated that 57.4 million tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment will be disposed of this year, which is a record.
It is estimated that there are about 100 million unused phones in France and only 15% of mobile phones sold are collected.
Back Market was a pioneer in e-waste since it launched its online recycling service in 2016, which allowed people to resell their smartphones and computers in the first place.
He then expanded his service to cover a whole range of products, from game consoles to cameras, all of which could be sold through the website.
Thibaud Hug de Larauze, CEO and co-founder of Back Market, commented: “We are very proud of this excellent partnership with these two companies; once again, we are sending a powerful signal to promote the refurbished device market.
“By encouraging people to clean their old smartphones from their drawers so they can take them directly to our stores, we continue our efforts to raise awareness among the general public about the impact technology has on our planet.” .
Circular economy
In 2020, Carrefour began to play its role in the circular economy with the creation of its Carrefour Occasion corners, a service that operated in collaboration with Cash Converter.
Recycling operations are a key component of the retailer’s digital strategy and are designed to reinforce their omnichannel approach.
The partnership with Back Market and ecoATM will expand Carrefour Occasion’s offer with an additional service.
EcoATM has over 13 years of experience in enabling people to trade with their second hand smartphones and has built a solid reputation.
It has been operating in France since 2020, and has already been successfully established in several countries, such as the United Kingdom and Germany.
Its long-term goal is to establish a presence in other countries where both Carrefour and Back Market operate.
“Win-win associations”
Tom Enraght-Moony, CEO of ecoATM, added: “By developing mutually beneficial partnerships with France’s leading retail companies, we will be able to achieve our goal of becoming one of the key players, enabling people to trade with their old mobile phones as fast and easy as possible.
“Carrefour customers will have an innovative and efficient experience through our exclusive automated kiosks. In a few clicks, they will be quoted at a definitive and firm price to negotiate with their mobile phone.”
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