Sustainable products
We want to offer our customers an attractive experience across all channels – experience electronics. We believe this also includes supporting them in responsible consumer behaviour. Our customers can therefore find our BetterWay products, which are particularly sustainable, based on their product design. In addition, we also offer our customers refurbished devices that contribute to the conservation of resources through their second use.
BetterWay products
We want to help our customers live a sustainable lifestyle. But what happens when you cannot see the forest for the products? Especially when it comes to electronics, it is not always easy to recognize a sustainable washing machine or coffee maker. As a retailer, we are aware of our special responsibility to highlight a product’s sustainability over its entire lifecycle. We help our customers make sustainable purchasing decisions as far as possible by providing them with product information and ensuring that products are comparable.
Our aspiration: more sustainable products in the product range
What actually are sustainable electronics products? They include the use of recycled materials in production, the lowest possible energy or water consumption during the utilisation phase and the longevity and recyclability of the product. And it is our own claim that social and ethical aspects such as the protection of human and labour rights are also observed in production. We have set ourselves the goal of offering 6,000 sustainable products in our stores and online shops by 2025 - we currently have around 4,900 such products in our range. These include, for example, fridges, washing machines, ovens and dishwashers in the large household appliances category and hoovers and coffee machines in the small household appliances category. In IT hardware, we offer sustainable printers, PCs, laptops and computer accessories as well as smartphones and tablets.
Easy to find: BetterWay, our label for sustainable products
To help customers quickly and clearly identify our sustainable products and services, we have labelled them since financial year 2021/22 with our own logo: BetterWay.
What criteria do we use to select products for BetterWay?
To be labelled with BetterWay, the product from our range must either to be confirmed as sustainable by a certification authority ahead of time or meet the criteria of an independent inspection organization. These third parties establish sustainability criteria for various product categories and inspect whether products meet the applicable requirements, such as responsible production, the materials used, energy efficiency, CO2 emissions and recyclability. In financial year 2021/22, products were stamped with the BetterWay logo if they received a certificate in accordance with DIN ISO 14024 from Blauer Engel, TCO Certified or EPEAT or met the sustainability criteria for domestic appliances.
Refurbished products: We close the circle
With our growing range of refurbished products, we offer sustainability-conscious customers an additional opportunity to buy new technology in a resource-saving way. However, price-conscious customers are also increasingly looking in the direction of refurbished devices, as these function both technically flawlessly and are in most cases visually indistinguishable from new devices. In the action field of refurbished products, we work together with selected partners and thus ensure that there are no unpleasant surprises for our customers with the products on offer.
What is refurbished?
The word “refurbished” means “reconditioned” or “overhauled”. When we talk about refurbished electronic products, we are talking about devices that have already been in use – although the length of use is irrelevant here – and have been professionally refurbished by a company. Refurbished devices are always fully functional and, in many cases, cannot be distinguished from a device that is as good as new.
What process do products go through before they are sold as refurbished?
In refurbishing, used products go through the process of professional reconditioning. The devices are first tested for their technical functionality. If the test indicates a defect, the device is repaired, and the functionality intended for the product is restored. After a successful technical acceptance, all data on the unit is deleted, and it is reset to factory settings. The final step is external cleaning. Finally, the condition of the used device is assessed (known as “grading”).
What is the condition and grade of these products?
Refurbished products may show minimal signs of use but hardly differ from new devices visually. All products have gone through extensive technical testing, are fully functional and are sold with original accessories or accessories that correspond to the original. This ensures that you can use the device at home immediately. Refurbished devices are usually classified in the grades “excellent", “very good” or “good”.
Refurbished products: An important contribution to the sustainable circular economy
By buying refurbished products, you give appliances a second chance. By doing so, you promote the longest possible product life and actively contribute to a sustainable circular economy. The reuse saves energy and resources that would be used to the detriment of the environment in the manufacture of new appliances.
