What is Recommerce?
Recommerce: powering the circular economy
We define Recommerce as a regenerative way to buy, re-use and share goods and services. It includes business models and activities like Resale, Repair, Rental, Refill, Return and Redistribute.
As the world is consuming more than it can replenish, a significant shift is needed in the way we use natural resources if we are to meet global net zero goals by 2050. Our current economy is only 8.6% circular, leaving a massive Circularity Gap. We need to close the Gap by a further 8.4% to close the Emissions Gap by 20321.
To accelerate the transition from a “take-make-waste” model to a circular economy, we need to rethink the way we shop and support small businesses to grow in new sustainable ways. We want to enable businesses and individuals to more easily consider the small changes they can make towards Recommerce activities like Resell, Repair, Rental, Refill, Return and Redistribute. More of us are already making choices that can add up to a big impact on people and our planet, like selling items when we no longer need them, repairing devices, or renting appliances for a short time.
According to research produced in cooperation with GlobeScan, consumers are already making progress – with half of those interviewed engaging in at least one Recommerce activity twice a year – some activities are more popular than others, and only one in five people are familiar with all aspects of Recommerce.2