More sustainable consumption
With around two billion customer interactions per year, we have significant leverage to advance circularity and encourage more responsible consumption patterns. Our approach is clear: we offer more energy-efficient, resource-efficiently produced, and refurbished products, complemented by services that extend product lifetimes or enable reuse. These measures help conserve valuable raw materials, reduce the amount of electronic waste generated and replace the need for new product manufacturing, which would otherwise be associated with additional emissions.
BetterWay: Simply the better choice
We want to make it easy for our customers to choose the more sustainable option. That is why we design our offerings in a way that supports both environmentally conscious choices and long-term cost savings. Sustainability should not be a compromise – but a benefit: our customers benefit from energy-efficient products and long product lifespans, while at the same time contributing to responsible consumption.
In our “BetterWay” product category, we offer our customers only products that are particularly energy-efficient or resource-saving. In our online shop, products can be filtered by specific sustainability criteria, and detailed information on environmental attributes is provided in the product details. This enables customers to make informed purchasing decisions.
More sustainable products
As a general principle, a more sustainable technology product uses fewer resources and less energy – from manufacturing through to use. Washing machines are more sustainable when they consume less energy and water, smartphones perform better when they are easier to repair, and accessories benefit from the use of recycled materials. In addition to environmental aspects, we also take social and ethical criteria into account, such as the protection of human and labour rights along the supply chain.
These criteria form the basis for the requirements that determine inclusion in our “BetterWay” category: IT products must be assessed as sustainable by an independent, external certification body (such as Blue Angel, EPEAT, or TCO Certified). Accessories must hold a recognized recycling certification, such as the Global Recycled Standard. Products with energy efficiency class A are also included in the “BetterWay” category. We regularly review the minimum standards for our more sustainable products. You can find more details about our more sustainable products here.
Refurbished products
Refurbished products are also a more sustainable alternative: pre-owned devices that have been professionally restored. They are technically fully functional and, in most cases, show minimal signs of previous use. By extending the lifetime of a device, refurbishment helps reduce the resources that would otherwise be required for manufacturing a new product. At the same time, refurbished devices are a smart choice for price-conscious customers.
We offer refurbished products in almost all categories – partly via our marketplace and partly directly in our stores. They come from trade-ins and customer returns, allowing us to return the vast majority of these devices back into circulation.
You can find more information about our refurbished offer here.
Repairs
Repairs play a key role in the circular economy: they extend the useful life of products. This helps reduce the amount of electronic waste generated and the resource demand associated with manufacturing new devices – and customers save the cost of buying a replacement product.
That is why we offer a comprehensive repair service. In our stores, customers can hand in defective devices, have smartphones repaired directly at the SmartBar or obtain spare parts. Our after-sales service coordinates repairs with our own workshops, manufacturers’ service centres and selected repair partners – including, in principle, for products not purchased from us.
Trade-in
We are legally required to take back end-of-life devices. With our trade-in service, we go one step further: customers can have their used devices assessed and, if they still have a residual value, exchange them for a gift card. Devices that are still functional – currently more than 90 percent – are professionally refurbished and given a second life. From devices that can no longer be used, recoverable components are removed and the remaining materials are recycled. This helps recover valuable resources.
Our trade-in service is available online and in our stores across all countries in which we operate. The offer currently includes smartphones, mobile phones, tablets, smartwatches, PCs, laptops and consoles.
You can find more information about our trade-in service here.
Recycling
Electrical and electronic devices contain valuable materials and spare parts that can be recovered through harvesting and recycling – as well as harmful substances that must not enter the environment. Customers can drop off their end-of-life devices in all our stores. When purchasing a new large appliance, we can collect the old one upon delivery if requested. Recovery and disposal follow the applicable legal requirements.
For packaging waste, we follow the three Rs: REDUCE, meaning less packaging material and better packaging dimensions, for example by avoiding outer packaging or using fit-to-size machinery; REUSE, through reusable packaging materials, especially in warehousing and logistics; and RECYCLE, by using mono-materials – for example, water-activated tape that can be recycled together with the shipping carton.
Questions or ideas?
sustainability@mediamarktsaturn.com
