EU Currents: An Extended Conversation
Daniel Romero
What’s Old Is New Again
In a world where everyone seems to be rushing out to get the latest smartphone, a French corporation has been working since 2016 to popularize refurbished smartphones with sound workmanship guarantees and at affordable price points.
CertiDeal, established in 2016 by Yoann Valensi and Laure Cohen, is committed to manufacturing and selling refurbished smartphones. Their efforts align with the mission of the European Union’s Right to Repair Directive and increasingly popular circular economy goals generally. Smartphone repair is a growing market, thanks to the policies initiated through the Right to Repair Directive, and it is projected to continue growing over the next five years.
Other French companies like Back Market, Underdog and La Fixerie have been able to tap into the smartphone refurbishment market, and even major manufacturers like Samsung, Dyson and Miele have initiated sales of refurbished products in France and other parts of the EU.
Driving The Circular Economy Forward
The Right to Repair Directive and the circular economy goals have steadily evolved since 2015, when the European Commission announced the first Circular Economy Action Plan. The updated New Circular Economy Action Plan was unveiled in March of 2020, three months after the European Green Deal was launched by EU President Ursula von der Leyen.
CertiDeal’s business model has thrived within these policy parameters set forth by the EU. By providing a service that allows people to turn in their old phones for profit; while selling them at the back end at an affordable price, they are successfully propagating circular economic goals and eliminating waste.
Additionally, the company places a high value on their workmanship, guaranteeing a 30-month warranty on all devices, while also working to cut out intermediaries between themselves and the customer.
CertiDeal is committed to keeping their operations within France, building up a talent base and allowing individuals to learn how to restore phones through an in-house training program, further yielding positive economic advances for the nation.
More Than Just A Company
CertiAcademy is a free, comprehensive training course that is working to feed the growing refurbishment economy. Their focus is on training young people and giving them an avenue in which to join the workforce as a fully trained smartphone refurbishment technician.
The services provided by CertiAcademy not only bolster their own workforce, but also that of a growing employment sector throughout France. CertiAcademy partners with Seine Ouest and FAIRE, organizations local to the Ile-De-France region that assist in providing certification and employment for those in need.
Additionally, CertiAcademy has an agreement with WeFix, another refurbished smartphone marketplace, guaranteeing all graduates two interviews with the company along with positive feedback to their prospective employer.
Trade-in services provided to consumers through companies like CertiDeal, along with the Right to Repair Directive seeks to encourage consumers to keep utilizing their devices by promoting a scheme through which individuals can send in their items to be repaired within a reasonable time and for a reasonable cost.
Mitigating Electronic Waste
According to data from the European Parliament, each citizen of the EU produces five tons of waste per year, roughly the average weight of an elephant. Collectively, citizens of the EU contribute more than 2.1 billion tons of waste annually across all member states.
In addition to avoiding waste that occurs when a phone is discarded, smartphone refurbishment may have an even larger impact when considering the carbon footprint involved in production of a smartphone.
Over 80% of the average smartphone’s carbon footprint is traced back to its production and manufacturing and taking modern manufacturing methods into account, a smartphone that lasts just one more year has the equivalent result of taking 4.7 million cars off the road by 2030.
Who Is In The Market For Refurbished Phones?
The increased acceptance and demand for refurbished products signals a desire for both affordable electronics and an attitude that is in support of sustainability at the individual level.
There does exist a generational gap when it comes to how these products are delivered. Those who are a part of the Baby Boomers and Generation X tend to favor an approach that centers around repairing electronics that they may have had for years, with hopes of keeping them around for a longer period.
Meanwhile, Millennials, Generation Z and Generation Alpha consumers prefer refurbished products, likely due to an increased consciousness of environmental concerns and desire to adhere to contemporary sustainability practices.
As of 2025, over 22% of smartphones in France are refurbished, a number that has tripled in the past seven years. A more telling statistic is that 60% of parents are buying refurbished smartphones for their young children, likely an indicator that there is trust in refurbished smartphones along with acknowledging the advantage of not spending a large amount of money on a phone that could be damaged by children.
Keeping the refurbishment market in a robust state also accomplishes a key economic goal. When smartphones are traded in and refurbished instead of being left to be forgotten, it can create knock-on effects in the economy. Namely, increased imports from overseas, which can drive down prices.
As the EU seeks to accomplish its goals of climate-neutrality and sustainable supply chains, one of the most successful pushes might come from this unlikely place. While in the past, having the newest smartphone may have been the ultimate status symbol, owning a sustainably refurbished phone may soon become the latest fashionable accessory for many citizens of the EU.
