Pre-owned electronics are making a comeback

"Electronic gifts are very popular, and in recent years, retailers have been offering significant discounts on smartphones, e-readers, and other electronics labeled as "pre-owned." Research I have co-led finds that these pre-owned options are becoming increasingly viable, thanks in part to laws and policies that encourage recycling and reuse of devices that might previously have been thrown away. Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy have dedicated pages on their websites for pre-owned devices."

"Those developments are some of the results of widespread innovations across the electronics industry that supply chain researcher Suresh Muthulingam and I have linked to California's Electronic Waste Recycling Act, passed in 2003. Recycling innovation Originally intended to reduce the amount of electronic waste flowing into the state's landfills, California's law did far more, unleashing a wave of innovation, our analysis found."

"We analyzed the patent-filing activity of hundreds of electronics firms over a 17-year time span from 1996 to 2012. We found that the passage of California's law not only prompted electronics manufacturers to engage in sustainability-focused innovation, but it also sparked a surge in general innovation around products, processes, and techniques. Faced with new regulations, electronics manufacturers and suppliers didn't just make small adjustments, such as tweaking their packaging to ensure compliance."

Pre-owned electronic devices have become widely available and attract significant discounts across major retailers and manufacturer and carrier resale programs. A robust secondary market relies on businesses that collect, process, and refurbish used, discarded, or returned electronics. California's Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003 catalyzed industry innovation by encouraging recycling and reuse, leading manufacturers to pursue sustainability-focused and broader product, process, and technique innovations. Patent analysis from 1996–2012 shows increased patent-filing activity tied to the law. Manufacturers reengineered design and manufacturing practices to incorporate recycled materials and to improve recyclability rather than making only superficial compliance changes.

Read at Fast Company