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MediaMarkt Monitor: More sustainable consumption of electronics is growing rapidly

MediaMarkt Monitor: More sustainable consumption of electronics is growing rapidly

Today, on World Environment Day, we are reflecting worldwide on the care for our planet. Using electronics more sustainably plays an increasingly important role in this. In its periodic retail monitor, launched earlier this year, MediaMarkt – the market leader in consumer electronics – sets out facts and figures, this time with a special focus on sustainability.

From repair to recycling: helping consumers choose
Companies are expected to encourage their customers to make sustainable choices and to support them in doing so. At MediaMarkt, the starting point is always the priority of extending the lifespan of products, through repairing devices, recycling them, or opting for products with a longer life. This not only makes it possible to save energy during the use of products, but also to preserve as many valuable raw materials as possible at the end of their life cycle. With initiatives such as BetterWay, the trade-in service and repair services, MediaMarkt makes responsible choices more accessible for consumers.

BetterWay is growing rapidly
What ‘sustainable’ actually means differs per product category: for large household appliances, the focus is on energy efficiency; for smartphones, on repairability; and for accessories, on recycled materials.

To make more sustainable choices even clearer, MediaMarkt introduced the BetterWay¹ label in 2022. This label helps customers see at a glance which products are more sustainable. In Belgium, the share of turnover from BetterWay products has almost tripled in recent years, from 9% in 2021 to no less than 24% in 2024.

MediaMarkt also ensures that BetterWay products are clearly recognisable, both in stores and online. In stores, customers can identify them by the electronic price label and additional communication materials that make it easier to find BetterWay products and to quickly see why a device is more sustainable.

Online, the BetterWay logo is also clearly visible, both on the overview page and on the product page. On the product page, a pop-up appears with all the information about the product’s sustainable features.

From discarded to reused: trade-in service growing at lightning speed
Older devices often end up unused in a drawer or are thrown away, even though they often still work. MediaMarkt ensures they are given a second life through refurbishing, and that defective devices are professionally recycled to recover valuable materials and help prevent the depletion of finite resources.

In the 2023/24 financial year, a total of 12,899 devices were traded in by MediaMarkt customers in Belgium. This is almost double the figure from the previous financial year, when 6,986 products were traded in.

Shops are legally obliged to take back old devices, but MediaMarkt is happy to go a step further for its customers. With the MediaMarkt trade-in service, they can exchange working devices for a gift card. This makes their next purchase cheaper and ensures that old devices are brought back into the circular loop.

Second life, double benefit
MediaMarkt also offers a wide range of refurbished products, a sustainable and smart alternative to new devices. They are professionally checked, repaired where necessary, and then resold in different quality levels, from “excellent” to “good”.

They work perfectly, are often barely distinguishable from new, and save a significant amount of raw materials and energy. Returned products brought back by customers are also given a second life in this way.

MediaMarkt is also fully committed to extending the lifespan of devices. In its stores, customers can have products repaired directly at the Smartbar or obtain a service ticket via the After Sales Service Desk. The longer a product lasts, the more sustainable it becomes.

Reduce, reuse, recycle
MediaMarkt also aims to minimise its climate impact when it comes to packaging. The company’s packaging strategy is based on the “reduce, reuse, recycle” principle. The retailer reduces the use of packaging materials by shipping products as much as possible in their original packaging and uses smart machines that create boxes cut to size.

Re-use is also a major focus: from reusable elastic bands for pallets to compressing polystyrene so that it can be reused in industry. Finally, the company ensures that packaging materials are easier to recycle, for example by using paper tape that can be fully recycled along with the box. In this way, MediaMarkt keeps valuable raw materials in circulation and reduces waste as an electronics specialist.

European campaign puts trade-in service in the spotlight
In eleven countries, MediaMarkt highlighted its trade-in service in a new campaign featuring brand ambassador Jürgen Klopp, the world-famous former football manager: he hands in his old smartphone, which after refurbishing ends up with a young football talent who shares her tricks online and even receives a like from Klopp.

In doing so, MediaMarkt showed how sustainability and affordability go hand in hand: every old device gets a second life and you save money. In the Benelux, the campaign ran in May on TV, online and in stores, with extra attention for repairs, refurbished products and screen protection.