Reduce, Reuse, Refurbish

This french e-commerce platform is making your “vintage” iPhone cool again.

- Darrell Hartman

Society’s obsession with new gadgetry has wreaked havoc on the environment: Close to 50 million tons of toxic e-waste are generated each year, and the mostly Africa-based supply chains for cobalt and rare earth metals used in components are riddled with human rights violations and planet-damaging mining practices. The problem is exacerbated in part by the yearly parade of new models of smartphones, tablets, and wearables from tech giants such as Apple, Samsung, and Google, and all the marketing dollars put behind these launches. But as phones become more durable, more expensive, and less differentiated from previous iterations, French refurbished electronics marketplace Back Market is working to convince Americans that “new is not exciting,” says CEO Thibaud Hug de Larauze.

“There hasn’t been major innovation in smartphones in four years,” says Hug de Larauze, who uses a five-yearold iPhone 6 that would retail for about $200 on his site. “It’s mostly psychological, with advertising telling you that you need a new one.”