Refurbisher about many of the new Smartphones: A disaster for the climate

Prefer to prepare, instead, calls for Kilian Kaminski. He has specialized in the trade with used electrical appliances. It doesn't always have to be brand ne

Refurbisher about many of the new Smartphones: A disaster for the climate

Prefer to prepare, instead, calls for Kilian Kaminski. He has specialized in the trade with used electrical appliances.

It doesn't always have to be brand new photo: dpa

taz: Mr. Kaminski, with which mobile phone?

Kilian Kaminski: With a recycled Iphone 7, the is two years old. The microphone and the Home Button no longer worked, and a specialist company replaced the broken parts as a result. One of our partners-dealer has sold me the product cheaper, although it works like a new device.

Exactly is the business model of their platform they offer refurbishte, so recycled electronics traders. Why are recycled electrical goods sustainable than buying a new electrical appliance?

Because the Processing is not a new product to be built. This releases less CO2 and saves raw materials needed for production. For an average Smartphone for about a CO2 emissions of about 47 kg for the entire life cycle. In the case of a modern mobile phone rare earths, Gold, copper, and other metals are added. To buy every year a new Smartphone is a disaster for the climate.

is the co-founder of refurbed.de-a platform for renewed products in Vienna. After his studies in business administration, he first worked at Amazon.

What are the components to be replaced when Refurbishen?

that depends on The type of device that we sell different things such as Smartphones, laptops and vacuum cleaners. In the case of Iphones, our dealers*change in often the Home Button, because it is pressed by far the most. In addition, an average of two parts per device to be occasionally replaced, still cameras, monitors, or housing. The external condition is an important sale argument. Some phones have slight signs of wear such as scratches, which may be only on the back and not on Display. Many clients, consciously buy Smartphones with scratches, because they use eh a protective case, and can then save time at the purchase price.

Some manufacturers build their Laptops and Smartphones so that the parts cannot be replaced: you can glue the batteries and solder the motherboard. What to do?

Since there are a lot of tools. Our partners have similar tools as in the production facilities in Asia and the USA. There, the laboratory atmosphere, white coats around, race, people wear hair nets and there is dust absolutely free. With special adhesive removers about batteries you can remove and replace it. This has nothing to do with the classic screwdriver workshops at the main train station.

when it isn't worth it, a device to recycle?

If a product, many of the components are broken, there are no more spare parts or the Software is no longer supported by the manufacturer. On old Smartphones, such as the first Iphone of 2007, many Apps no longer run, they are for clients, unattractive and can be recycled. In the case of many older household appliances, there are usually spare parts. Newer often use cheap plastic parts, which complicate the repair.

Speaking of household appliances, Many of which are recently online and also Software Updates, depending on. The result: A smart Thermostat does not work any more after an Update, for example, correctly. The Refurbisher is a Problem?

Yes, because if products are not functioning properly, we can offer you on our Website. Therefore, we find it good that the EU wants to oblige the Commission manufacturers in the future to supply spare parts and software updates longer. Because currently it is very difficult to do against a lack of Updates something. To develop their own Software would be very time-consuming.

How do you get the products?

Through dealers, and more than 70 Refurbish companies with whom we work throughout Europe together. Get the used devices, mostly by big companies that replace their Laptops and Smartphones every few years against newer versions. And want to get rid of the “old“ devices then again as cheap as possible. Our dealer partners to get around a large box, in which several thousands of new, used, and a couple of broken Smartphones are, let's say to an average price of 200 euros. Broken mobile phones, where one would have to many components to replace, the dealer will send to Recycling, the Rest is processed by the parts and sold.

How sustainable is the Recycling of the electrical appliances?

Many of the modern recycling centers can recycle products such as Smartphones completely. You will then be disassembled into its individual components: the battery will be removed and disposed of, the Rest is melted down, Gold, cobalt and other raw materials to recycle. The Problem is, in my opinion, the efficiency of recycling, but for a company partially cheaper to export their waste in African countries such as Ghana, than it is to recycle. We have it so far, but from any of our dealers heard that exporting electrical waste to Africa. These illegal exports would be due to the controls very difficult.

is not Allowed to sell any trader to you?

no, we require high standards of quality. Retailers go through an application process where we check their quality of Treatment and Service. Offered devices do not have to be brand new, but work flawlessly and should have no disadvantage compared to new products. We offer the Samsung Galaxy S5 is almost six years old. In the case of the battery performance, we come to a compromise: Because rechargeable batteries lose very fast at the beginning of performance, and are the least sustainable component in electrical equipment, you need to bring with us only a minimum of 80 percent power. We would insist on the full 100 percent, would be our Eco-balance is significantly worse, since we would have to constantly buy new batteries.

What are you making with your platform?

we Say, one of our Partner offers on our Website, an Iphone 7 with 32 gigabytes of memory for 270 euros. We get from the sales total a market share of approximately 10 percent, in the case of 27 Euro.

According to a study by the industry Association Bitkom, 120 million mobile phones camped 2018 in German drawers. It would be useful if private customers send in their old technology in them?

That's right. That is why we are also working on a concept that clients, their mobile phones and other devices to one of our partners can sell and get money, in order to close the circuit completely.

companies such as Samsung, Apple, or Google by the fact that they sell to their clients, as many of the new devices. What is the major competition to your business?

at The Moment is Refurbishment compared with the electronics-Neumarkt is only a tiny part in the parts per thousand range. Since there was no questions asked, other manufacturers have not complained.

at the same time you are as a Refurbish-the market square of the Large-dependent. Because, if not more to produce so many new devices, they have to prepare fewer products and making less money. This will eventually become a Problem for you?

Basically, I see absolutely no Problem. The Figures for new products are simply too large. Apple has sold about in the third quarter of this year, worldwide, approximately 46.6 million new Iphones. There are refurbishen a lot.

Date Of Update: 13 January 2020, 15:00
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