Recommerce 101: Rethinking how tech gets used

What is recommerce?

Also known as reverse commerce, recommerce is the practice of refurbishing and repairing used products, then putting them back out into circulation rather than scrapping them. Think of it as retail rebuilt around reuse – and at Alchemy, we’re building the infrastructure that’s making recommerce not only a sustainable alternative, but the go-to choice.

From landfill to life extension

The recommerce industry addresses some of the most pressing environmental issues we face today, from e-waste to carbon emissions and raw material extraction. The scale of e-waste alone is staggering; it's the fastest-growing waste stream on the planet. A single smartphone can produce up to 85kg of carbon emissions during its lifecycle – with most of this stemming from raw material extraction.

This makes the environmental savings from refurbishment hard to ignore. A single refurbished smartphone can save up to 244kg of raw materials, conserve over 76,000 litres of water, and prevent 200g of e-waste from entering landfill. Every refurbished device is an opportunity not only to reduce environmental impact, but to create circular value from what would otherwise be discarded. Scale up this practice across entire industries, and recommerce will have a transformative effect.

Enabling a truly circular tech economy

At Alchemy, we’ve built a global recommerce solution that allows over 3,000 partners across 60 markets to recover, process, and remarket secondary tech. To date, we’ve enabled the return of over nine million devices to the market – not only bringing high-quality, affordable products to more people, but supporting our partners on their Scope 3 reduction journey.

More businesses are turning to circularity-as-a-service models because they recognize the challenges of managing circular programs in-house. From diagnostics and data-wiping to refurbishment, repair, resale, and reporting – our recommerce platform handles the complexity, allowing partners to focus on what they do best while accelerating their sustainability journeys.

More impact, fewer trade-offs

Historically, concerns about the quality of refurbished devices have held back adoption. But modern recommerce defies that perception. We are guaranteeing that refurbished products meet strict performance, appearance, and reliability benchmarks, by working with leading OEMs who audit and inspect our processes to make sure they meet quality standards. Refurbished devices typically cost 20–60% less than new products, yet deliver the same utility – with the added assurance that we’re helping the planet.

This kind of dual benefit gives businesses a real edge. Customers stick around for longer, stay engaged with your ecosystem, and come to trust the affordable, high-quality alternatives you offer – especially when they're backed by solid warranties, high quality aftercare, and clear sustainability credentials.

Scale smarter, act faster with a recommerce solution

Launching a full-blown circular tech program is no small task. Managing trade-ins, testing, refurbishment, data wiping, resale – all while ensuring impeccable customer experience – adds complexity that many brands simply aren’t set up to handle. That’s why more leading companies are choosing to work with us as a circularity partner.

Recommerce in 2025 isn’t just a headline. It’s about unlocking untapped value and building resilience in your supply chain. And it’s about aligning your business with a future that’s already taking shape.

Ready to power your circular tech journey? Get in touch with our team.