On World Recycling Day, Orange Belgium, in partnership with Recommerce, launches a refurbished smartphone webshop to enhance its sustainable mobile offerings. This initiative supports the ‘Re program’—Repair, Refurbish, Recycle, Return—aimed at environmental conservation and cost savings through device lifecycle management. This move aligns with Orange’s established European leadership in device trade-ins and refurbished phone sales.

Orange Belgium is addressing the issue of over 3 million idle smartphones by enhancing its sustainable mobile market initiatives. In 2023, they gathered 37,000 devices and sold 13,500 refurbished phones. Recognising the need for improvement, they’re now focusing on device reuse and collection. Additionally, each collected device results in a €2 donation to Natagora/Natuurpunt for planting trees and hedges in Belgium.

Isabelle Vanden Eede, Chief Communication, Brand and CSR Officer at Orange Belgium, explains that “At Orange Belgium and in our Lead the Future strategy, we have clear and precise environmental objectives to which we have committed ourselves. Our goal is to significantly reduce our carbon emissions and achieve Net Zero Carbon status by 2040.”

Similarly, Lars Christensen, Managing Director Benelux & Eastern Europe at Recommerce, emphasises that “We are proud to support Orange Belgium in its ESG strategy by offering quality-certified refurbished smartphones. For 15 years, our mission has been to drive the circular economy and work together with committed stakeholders such as Orange, with whom we share the same goals and values ​​to jointly reduce our environmental footprint.”