eReuse overview

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The eReuse ecosystem

Driven by Pangea and involving both professionals and researchers from the UPC, eReuse represents a collaborative effort encompassing all relevant actors playing roles of the exposed model. Since 2016, multiple reuse-focused entities have actively collaborated within this ecosystem, demonstrating the practical applicability of our theoretical model.

Within eReuse, ecosystem are organised in circuits. A circuit corresponds to a specific eReuse operational unit, representing a defined set of relationships and interactions among actors, structured according to the donor organisation involved. Each circuit thus reflects a distinct operational configuration tailored to the donor’s. eReuse’s circuits began in 2016 with the first circuit to manage the discarded equipment of Barcelona City Council, called Pangea circuit.

Over time, this initial circuit was replicated across multiple public and private institutions, with each donor having its own circuit. In Barcelona, the current circuits include eight refurbishment centres (two of which also serve as distributors and three as authorized waste management centres), two second-hand ICT managers, two dedicated distributors, one cooperative specialized in device maintenance, one organization focused on software development, the UPC. The concept of circuits, along with the use of free and eReuse open-source software, was later replicated in Madrid through La Kalle and the Sempiterna circuit. Ekoa and Nodotau also expressed interest in the eReuse software, positioning themselves as entities that operate within the broader eReuse ecosystem.

Figure 1 provides a visual representation of the dynamics of a Reuse ecosystem within an eReuse circuit. This illustration serves as a reference for the subsequent explanation, which details the key processes, actors, and interactions involved in its operation:

Figure 1. A series of images illustrating the governance meeting, the logistics of device collection, the arrangement of devices in racks for data wiping and inventory, operating system installation, and final distribution via a distributor and use in ICT classrooms in an eReuse circuit. 

The second-hand ICT managers are the coordinator of the eReuse circuits. Under their umbrella, all the rest of the actors cooperate. This umbrella role, which brings together all refurbishment centres within a territory, provided they comply with the agreed-upon rules, enabling circuits to handle a large volume of devices that, otherwise, could not be processed by a single organisation.

Additionally, they ensure the chain of custody and collect data for accountability and social reporting to donors, with a minimum of information consisting of: whether the equipment has been refurbished or recycled, the public web page generated for each device, the organisation that received it, and the economic compensation paid. This information, part of the traceability system, which is powered by the Workbench and Devicehub, and used by the refurbishment centres.  

Under this coordination, subsequent processes, from governance meetings to final device distribution, are carried out in alignment with the established rules: 

  1. Governance meetings and onboarding:
    1. Governance meetings bring together software developers, refurbishment centres, distributors, and the second-hand ICT managers.
    2. These meetings facilitate coordination, the onboarding of new members, and decision-making regarding the eReuse software and the allocation of devices (that are typically assigned based on the historical usage value of computers previously allocated). 
  1. Logistics: 
    1. Devices are collected and transported to refurbishment centres within the eReuse circuit.
  1.  Software processing: 
    1. Tasks include receiving devices and running the traceability process with eReuse software (approx. 10 minutes).
    2. This process also facilitates the generation and sharing of community-driven data, enhancing collective knowledge and operational efficiency within the circuit
  1. Cleaning, operating system installation and hardware refurbishment and upgrading: 
    1. Hardware components from reusable devices, such as the keyboard, sound, camera, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet,  are tested.
    2. Devices undergo manual interior and exterior cleaning to ensure proper functionality and presentation.
    3. Battery replacement and minor repairs or upgrades, such as hard drive replacements or RAM increases,  can be carried out to extend device lifespan.
    4. The operating system is installed and configured.
    5. Devices are packaged and prepared for distribution.
    6. The refurbishment process should not exceed 30 minutes for a trained technician. However, if data wiping is required, the process extends to 40–60 minutes. Locked BIOS devices are immediately discarded.
  1. Distribution:
    1. Refurbishment centres allocate devices, but if demand is insufficient, they share inventory with distributors, who offer second-hand devices through e-commerce or marketplaces.
    2. Distributors manage servitisation strategies, sell second-hand devices online, and formalise use-cession agreements with intermediate organisations. 
    3. They also manage warranties, ensuring replacements of similar devices when issues arise. When transferring more than 10 devices, two additional units are provided at no cost to simplify warranty management.
  1. Final use:
    1. Devices are used to end users via intermediate organisations. 
    2. If servitisation rather than a use-cession agreement is in place, service providers ensure the proper functionality of devices in ICT classrooms, carrying out maintenance as specified in the agreements.

Figure 2 illustrates the operational structure of an eReuse circuit by visually mapping key actors, their interactions, and the flow of data throughout the device’s lifecycle. It highlights how traceability and data collection are embedded in the operational workflow. The diagram follows a sequential logic, with numbered arrows (1, 2, 3…) indicating the chronological order of interactions between actors. Each participant in the process is represented along the horizontal axis, while messages exchanged between them flow vertically according to the timeline. Conditional paths are represented using “alt” blocks, which illustrate alternative routes depending on the final destination or outcome of the devices (e.g., reuse vs recycling). Parallel actions are shown using “par” blocks, indicating processes that occur simultaneously, such as data updates by multiple actors. 

Figure 2: Actors/ right holders, the transfer of information, activities and the provision of services and devices within a eReuse circuit

Compensation table

Distributors, as claimants, or refurbishment centres are responsible for invoicing and distributing the profits among participating members, following the compensation table and ensuring transparency. This compensation table, managed by the second-hand manager but agreed upon by all actors, is supported by financial contributions from authorised entrants or by third parties covering the costs of circularity. Right holders within the circuits receive financial payments for their services, as specified in the compensation table.

These services include: 1) For the second ICT hand manager, costs related to managing interactions with donors (agreements, delivery notes, chain of custody, accountability, compliance with commitments); 2) For the refurbishment centres, costs associated with transportation, storage and refurbishment; 3) For the distributors, the search for demand, agreements with authorised entrants, and management of equipment replacements in case of malfunction; 4) For the maintainers, services related to hardware and software maintenance, and 5) For software developers, services related to development of features and Workbench and DeviceHub maintenance, as well as provision of refurbishment centres support and data hosting. Table 1 outlines the relationship between services and financial compensations. 

Table 1: Compensation table agreed upon by the eReuse right holders

Collaboration agreements

The circuits operate based on collaboration agreements, de jure institutional agreements, which contain specific clauses to regulate the transfer of rights and management among the various right holders. The agreement that transfers property from the proprietor to the owner, which falls under the category of dispossession, includes the types of devices that can be donated, based on what the circuits considers to have positive value, an assessment that is the result of: a) evaluating demand, b) explicit demand arising from funded projects, and c) the services required as part of the donation. 

Additionally, these agreements may include specifications that regulate which types of refurbishment centres can be part of the circuit (e.g., only SEE or also for-profit centres), logistics (palletisation and transportation), as well as the required documentation, its contents, and delivery deadlines (e.g., delivery notes, data wipe certificates, traceability information, data integrity assurance, and accountability). They may also outline the limits on economic benefits from the transfer/sale of devices, the financial compensations for proprietors for services provided, and the target segments of authorised users and entrants. Each proprietor contributes to their own pool, which is why each agreement is tailored ad hoc.

Moreover, the transfer of use of cession rights between owners and authorised users is governed by agreements that stipulate, for example, the actions that can be performed on the devices and the manner and process for reporting or returning a device that is no longer in use. Specific agreements for servitisation, which include maintenance details, have also been developed. All these agreements are attached in the annexes of this thesis.

Now, we present three templates of the signed agreements: the agreement between the donor and the second hand ICT manager, the agreement between the distributor and the intermediate organisation, and the servitisation agreement, which includes the maintenance provisions.