Everything started with a “what if we opt for reuse rather than premature recycling”. The government wanted to involve all the active reuse centres to do all the work of refurbishing, channelling and tracking these devices. This was the request they made to a research group at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.
A few months later, eReuse.org was launched. eReuse.org is an initiative of organisations dedicated to the transition to collaborative and circular consumption of electronics. It motivates and promotes the emergence of local autonomous open platforms to reuse electronics that ensure final recycling and verifiable assessment of reuse impact.
The eReuse members are mainly social economy organizations that refurbish, recycle and distribute second-hand devices such as mobiles, laptops or desktop computers. Its partners are organisations that promote zero waste, circular and social economy, fair electronics, the right to repair and the reduction of the digital divide.
In cities, members and city councils collaborate and coordinate in reuse circuits with great effect in creating inclusive jobs, starting or accelerating efficiency and scaling up of local exchange/market of second hand devices. eReuse.org was launched in 2015, it is a project under Pangea.org, a private, independent non-profit organization founded in 1993 to promote the strategic and environmental use of ICT.