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Over 5 billion mobile devices are discarded annually, contributing to more than 50 million tonnes of e-waste. The partnership aims to significantly reduce this amount by offering access to an all-in-one platform for mobile trade-ins that is simple to use and guarantees customers the best valuations to incentivize responsible reuse and recycling.
Europe’s leading provider of mobile device lifecycle solutions, Piceasoft has partnered with NorthLadder, one of the most advanced mobile device trade-in companies globally, to jointly offer turnkey trade-in solutions for mobile network operators and retailers.
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The amount of e-waste generated from discarded devices is one of the most critical sustainability challenges of our time. Facilitating mobile device trade-ins has the potential to significantly reduce the number of usable devices that are scrapped each year, as well as to create new business opportunities within the mobile device circular economy.
The partnership, announced at Mobile World Congress 2024 in Barcelona, combines Piceasoft’s newly upgraded all-in-one Picea® Online platform with Northladder’s best trade-in prices, driven by their unique last-mile retailer auction platform, advanced online trade-in capabilities, and advanced device processing and logistics capabilities. Customers benefit from a simplified, fairer, and more transparent trade-in experience from one cohesive platform and end-to-end operations support from the most comprehensive trade-in services platform globally.
“Currently, the major bottlenecks holding back the device trade-in sector come from the lack of access to trade-in options from vendors, the complexity of currently available solutions, and the lack of transparency, which causes huge variations in the device grading process and low valuations for the consumers for their devices,” says Kristian Järnefelt, CEO at Piceasoft.
Adds: “Our partnership with NorthLadder is a win-win-win for network operators, retailers, and consumers, and marks significant progress towards a more circular economy in the mobile device sector, also providing fair prices to the consumers that trade in their old phones.”
Through the PiceaOnline platform, customers can utilize automatic mobile device identification (MMR) and device diagnostics across mobile, e-commerce, and point-of-sale channels, ensuring accurate trade-in valuations with price guarantees and minimizing grading variance.
By combining this with Northladder’s best trade-in prices, customers can trust a transparent and fair trade-in process. This promotes loyalty and confidence among consumers, assuring them of optimal value for their old devices when transitioning to new ones.
In addition, the partnership enables trade-in business success, allowing network operators and retailers to capitalize on improved operational efficiencies for trade-in services and quick time-to-market, leading to increased customer satisfaction. Through enhanced trade-in services, customers also contribute to a positive environmental, social, and governance impact by promoting responsible device recycling and reducing electronic waste.
“At NorthLadder, our ambition is to be at the forefront of the mobile device circular economy. By partnering with Piceasoft, we extend our ability to offer higher new device sales for our partners and more affordable new devices for their customers, while promoting the sustainability of old devices,” says Sandeep Shetty, Co-founder and CEO at NorthLadder.
“Simplicity and transparency are critical to propelling device lifecycle solutions forward, and with Piceasoft, we’re pleased to partner with a technology-first platform that makes the whole process easier for everyone involved, right down to consumers, making it as simple as possible for them to make responsible and sustainable choices without sacrificing value for money,” concludes Shetty.
The used mobile phone market continues to grow significantly, with an estimated 9,5% growth, from 282 million units in 2022 to 309 million units in 2023. It is predicted that shipments of used smartphones will grow to nearly 431 million units by 2027, by which time the market value is predicted to be $109,7 billion. As demand for used devices also continues to grow, the market’s success depends upon increasing the supply of second-hand devices, for example, through effective trade-in programs.
