Online marketplace Refurbed has partnered with Irish tree-planting project Reforest Nation to help rebuild native woodlands and offset carbon emissions.
The partnership, which has been announced to coincide with National Tree Week, will see Reforest Nation join Eden Reforestation Project as a key part of the company’s goal to counteract any CO2 emissions produced as a result of the refurbishment of its electronics.
Customers buying a refurbished device from the website will be able to choose Ireland as a country in which to plant a tree as part of the process.
Eden Reforestation Projects plants trees in countries including Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique and Nepal.
Refurbed plants a tree for every product it sells; the company said in 2021 it has planted one million trees, with more than 25,000 from Irish customers who have bought refurbished technology in the past year.
“The announcement is particularly timely as National Tree Week is recognised in Ireland this week. Reforest Nation is on an ambitious mission, and I am thrilled that refurbed can be part of their journey to make a real difference across Ireland and beyond,” said Peter Windischhofer, chief executive and co-founder of Refurbed.
“Irish consumers have contributed significantly to the number of trees we have planted in the past year, and we hope in 2022 that this number will increase further. This partnership will also allow Irish consumers to have a positive impact on the native reforestation efforts in their home country.”
Founded in 2017 by Mr Windischhofer, Kilian Kaminski and Jürgen Riedl, Refurbed employs more than 150 people and operates in Ireland, Austria, Germany, Italy, France, Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark.
Offsets emissions
Refurbed’s refurbishment process includes a 40-step procedure to return products to factory condition before they are sold. The tree planting offsets the emissions from this process.
“Reforest Nation are doing tremendous work in trying to revitalise Ireland’s forestation and this was a natural fit for Refurbed in terms of matching our goals, mission and values as a whole,” said Pádraig Power, Refurbed’s marketing manager for Ireland.
“Along with our other markets, Refurbed’s objective is to get one refurbished device into every household in Ireland. We believe that with the shift to a circular economy, people will be more conscious of their purchases, particularly electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, and tablets. With the option to assist in the redevelopment of our forest lands, I believe people will be drawn to this new partnership with Reforest Nation in helping our country face the challenges of fighting climate change.”
Reforest Nation has a goal of planting one million trees by 2024 to help restore biodiversity and fight climate change. The organisation has planted 35,000 in Ireland since it was established in 2020, with a further 75,000 in Africa, Asia and central America.
“I am excited to welcome Refurbed as an ecosystem level planting partner of our organisation as we aim to achieve our target of planting one million trees by 2024,” said Gearóid McEvoy, founder of Reforest Nation.
“Our goal is to make an impact in the world with the restoration of biodiversity and I know this is something which is shared with the team at refurbed. They are doing some outstanding work in making customers aware of the circular economy, particularly with day-to-day or modern ‘must-need’ products such as smartphones, tablets and laptops amongst others. I believe together, we can work to make a big difference not only amongst consumers, but also in the physical landscape of this country.”
The Government previously announced plans to plant 440 million trees for 2040. Ireland currently has 11 per cent of land covered with trees, with only 2 per cent of that consisting of native trees.
