According to a survey from Back Market, a majority of respondents would purchase a refurbished device as a gift to save money and be eco-friendly.
A survey announced from Back Market, a marketplace for professionally refurbished electronics products, revealed that 80% of respondents would consider buying a refurbished device as a Christmas present for a loved one.
The survey of Back Market consumers found that the majority would purchase a refurbished device to protect the planet as well as their wallets this year. 51% of respondents said they would purchase a refurbished device because it would be sustainable and 39% believed it’s a cost effective way to treat someone.
In France, consumers were more willing to purchase a refurbished gift due to the saving cost element, with 53% agreeing that it was a great cost effective choice and 46% doing so for the environment.
Interestingly enough, Brits claimed to prefer shopping for Christmas presents in bricks and mortar stores rather than online, as 66% of those reluctant to buy refurbished gifts said it was because they don’t purchase their gifts online.
According to the Global E-waste Monitor, the UK is one of the biggest producers of electrical waste, exporting 24.9KG of e-waste per person, nearly twice the amount of the EU average.
In Germany and Italy, appearing “cheap” was the main reason why people did not feel comfortable buying refurbished gifts, with 60% and 46% (respectively) saying this was why they would refrain from it – compared to just 13% of Brits.
Another recent study Back Market conducted with Toluna found that 63% of Brits feel confident to buy a refurbished phone, which is 4% more than they did in February.
Price was the main deciding factor for buying refurbished goods across the US and the UK – However, it was particularly the case for Americans, with a staggering 70% claiming it was the most important reason compared to just 43% of Brits
Eco-consciousness was most prevalent in France, with 27% opting to buy refurbished for the sustainability element – although, this was closely followed by the UK at 26%. Italy showed the least sign of environmental consciousness with just 4%
Back Market’s Thibaud Hug de Larauze, said: “E-waste is growing at an exponential rate and this is driven by the current pace of new electronics consumption which is coming at a great human and environmental cost. According to the Global E-waste Monitor, the UK is one of the biggest producers of electrical waste, exporting 24.9KG of e-waste per person, nearly twice the amount of the EU average.
“Our mission is to free the world from tech obsolescence by making refurbished mainstream. It is not only more cost effective, it also reduces your e-waste impact on the environment, and these green values are becoming more important. From our data, it is very promising to see that we are edging in the right direction”