Together with its partners, including leading operators and retailers throughout Europe and North America, last year eRC processed device trade-ins at a rate of almost 20,000 per day, representing 2,255 tons of e-waste diverted from landfills. Each mobile device trade-in represents:
- A new revenue stream for operators to offset device subsidies.
- Instant in-store credit that enables immediate customer discounts on new devices or accessories.
- Increased customer satisfaction and a reduction in churn.
- A dependable supply of high-quality, affordable technology that can be resold across the globe, changing lives and bridging the digital divide.
- An opportunity to recapture precious and rare materials by extending the lifespan of wireless devices rather than creating new phones.
- E-waste diverted from landfill and water resources.
This major milestone demonstrates that operators are quickly learning about the tremendous power of eRecyclingCorps in-store trade-in program to offset surging device subsidy costs, improve customer satisfaction and meet sustainability goals, said David Edmondson, CEO of eRC. eRCs rapid growth is a direct result of our commitment to working hand-in-hand with operators to develop tailored retail support programs that enhance the bottom line. By profitably driving a high volume of mobile device trade-ins, our operator-grade retail model is fundamentally changing how operators and consumers alike view the value of used devices.
The 10 million devices collected via eRCs in-store operator and retail programs are repaired to like new quality to meet strict standards for functionality. Devices are resold to consumers in developed and emerging markets, where they offer consumers access to high quality mobile technology at lower costs, helping to bridge the digital divide.
eRC currently operates in ten countries and partners with five of the seven leading carriers in North America as well as several European operators (KPN, Belgacom and more) and more than 10,000 retailer locations worldwide. The company launched its first in-store operator program in 2009 with Sprint, whose Buyback program today boasts an impressive trade-in rate of more than 40 percent and has helped avoid more than $1B in costs while gaining recognition from Compass Intelligence as the top operator buyback program in the United States.
In-store device trade-ins have become an integrated part of our sales process, said Fared Adib, Senior Vice President of Product Development and Reverse Logistics at Sprint. Buyback is a huge benefit for our customers and for Sprint. Its been good for our business and mitigates our impact on the environment by keeping old phones active and diverted from landfills.
As device lifecycles shrink and the quantity of retired wireless devices increases, the device trade-in market is primed for rapid expansion, said Weston Henderek, Principal Analyst covering wireless services for the market research firm Current Analysis. “The increase in the number of device trade-in options and their convenience at the point of sale will also encourage consumers to trade in their devices more frequently.”