Today, Inrego, a leader in circular IT solutions, was honored with the Sustainable Consumption Award 2024 by Science Park Borås.
The award is presented as part of Sustainable Consumer Day, an event that highlights alternative and sustainable consumption patterns, providing a vital counterbalance to the consumer frenzy of Black Friday.
"Inrego was founded nearly 30 years ago with cost-efficiency at its core. Students needed affordable computers, and our business idea of reuse made it possible. We’ve stayed true to resource efficiency ever since—both in terms of the environment and the economy," says Henrik Nilsson, CEO of Inrego.
He continues:
"This award for sustainable consumption means a great deal to us! Sustainability is often expected to cost more, but for a business idea and product to remain competitive over time, they also need to be economically sustainable. Just because something is sustainable doesn’t mean it has to be more expensive, and I’m thrilled that we can shed light on this!"
A Role Model in Circular Economy
Since its inception in 1995, Inrego has worked to extend the lifecycle of IT equipment by purchasing, refurbishing, and reselling usable electronics. Each year, the company repurposes over 350,000 IT products, resulting in a climate saving of 90,000 tons of CO₂ compared to new production.
The jury highlighted Inrego’s efforts to create demand for circular products, which is crucial for the success of circular business models.
"Our experience shows that a lack of demand often hinders the profitability of circular business models," explains Birgitta Losman, sustainability strategist at the University of Borås and chair of the prize jury.
She adds:
"This is why we actively work to foster sustainable demand, making both individual consumption and business-to-business transactions better for the planet and the wallet. This year’s winner has demonstrated real environmental impact while maintaining strong profitability."
Jury's Motivation
This year’s award goes to a company that has successfully convinced customers that extending the lifecycle and circulation of products benefits both the environment and their finances. With persistence, long-term focus, and courage, Inrego offers profitable solutions for both the planet and the wallet, where electronics are looped not just once but multiple times.
Inrego’s business model inspires other industries to embrace circular practices. Creating demand in the business-to-business sector is a crucial cog in the circular economy, and Inrego has long shown that profitability, social and ecological sustainability, and material circulation in the economy can coexist.
About the Award
Since 2020, Science Park Borås has annually presented the Sustainable Consumption Award to individuals or organizations that have made exceptional efforts to promote sustainable consumption.
Previous winners include Handelsanställdas förbund (2020), Repamera (2021), Fair Action (2022), and Anders Wijkman (2023). The award was established in 2019 as a counterweight to Black Friday and its unsustainable consumption patterns.
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