In Germany alone, almost 20 kilograms of electronic waste are generated per person every year. The recommerce company rebuy wants to combat this waste of resources and the associated environmental impact. As part of its new campaign "Pass it on instead of putting it away," the company organized a roundtable discussion on the topic of e-waste on March 31, 2022. In the one-hour YouTube livestream, ConPolicy behavior expert Dr. Annette Cerulli-Harms joined rebuy CEO Philipp Gattner, editorial director at the magazine green Lifestyle Petra Schmatz, and Ole Nymoen, book author and podcast host of 'Prosperity for All', to discuss why consumers continue to find it difficult to make sustainable consumption decisions.
To avoid e-waste, it would be important for consumers to first use their devices for as long as possible and then either pass them on or at least have them professionally recycled. However, many are quick to buy new when it comes to electronics due to innovation cycles or habits, such as upgrading smartphones every two years.
In the panel discussion, it became clear that knowledge of the problem alone will not guide people to change their actions. Marketing, unsustainable product design and ingrained behavior patterns prevent consumers from consuming more sustainably. In addition to legal framework conditions, education and many positive impulses from outside are needed to bring about a change in consumer behavior.
The event was broadcast via livestream and can be viewed here.
In addition, the Hochrhein-Zeitung reported on the rebuy Salon here.