E-WASTE What if refurbished devices became a new strategic market for telecom operators?

In Egypt, informal repair and reuse networks for smartphones have existed for a long time. They respond to a simple reality: new devices are too expensive for a large share of the population. The question is therefore not whether demand exists. It is whether formal players : operators, distributors, manufacturers, an position themselves sustainably within it.

For over two years, Archipel&Co worked alongside Orange, UNIDO and a wide network of local and international partners, including Nokia and Cordon Group, as part of the Switch to Circular Economy Value Chains programme, supported by the European Union and the Finnish government.

Our work focused on exploring the potential of a professional, warranty-backed refurbishment sector for smartphones and IT equipment in Egypt, combining B2C and B2B consumer research, analysis of usage patterns and purchase barriers, mapping of informal repair and reuse markets, value chain mapping, and identification of business and operational opportunities for private sector players.

This project is above all a reminder that the circular economy is no longer just a matter of impact or CSR. It is now a question of competitiveness, resilience and new market development.

For telecom and tech players, refurbishment opens up very concrete possibilities: better reaching price-sensitive consumers, developing trade-in and second-life offers, and creating new local activities around repair and reverse logistics.

Our study also highlighted one key finding: trust is the central condition for scaling up. Warranty, perceived quality, customer experience, a reliable distribution network and traceability all become strategic levers for structuring the market on a lasting basis.

Thank you to Orange, UNIDO, Sofrecom and all programme partners for their trust.

The One Circle pilot project is part of the global Switch to Circular Economy Value Chains initiative, co-funded by the European Union and the Finnish government.