Refurbished: how to calculate your carbon footprint using LCA?

Refurbished: how to calculate your carbon footprint using LCA?

The rise of the circular economy is prompting manufacturers and distributors to rethink their business models. Among the most promising avenues is refurbished equipment. However, one blind spot has persisted until now: how can we reliably measure the impact and carbon footprint of second-hand equipment? It is precisely this challenge that Rexel France and five partners, including Qweeko, have tackled with the publication of a white paper presented at the ChangeNow trade fair in Paris in March 2026.

Why is it so difficult to measure the carbon footprint of refurbished products?

A refurbished device is not a new product. Its life cycle is different, and so is its environmental impact. The manufacturing and energy consumption phases of electronic equipment are the stages with the greatest impact in terms of CO₂ equivalent emissions. However, unlike new products, which have documented Product Environmental Profiles (PEPs), refurbished devices had no standardised method for quantifying their carbon footprint.

The RE2020 only mentions refurbished products in passing, merely stating that replaced parts must be taken into account. This framework is insufficient to effectively highlight the environmental benefits of a model based on the second life of equipment.

A simplified calculation method based on life cycle assessment

The white paper proposes an approach structured around life cycle assessment (LCA). The method draws on data from the Inies database and the methodology of the PEP Ecopassport programme to assign an average carbon value to each refurbished appliance in CO2 equivalent, according to three levels of refurbishment:

• Level 1 - Testing and recommissioning: repairs without replacement of parts
• Level 2 - Minor repairs with replacement of secondary parts (connections, structures)
• Level 3 - Replacement of major components (batteries, motors, electronics)

In the absence of a verified PEP, the study provides for the use of default environmental data (DED) published by the Ministry for Ecological Transition. This pragmatic approach allows the carbon benefit resulting from refurbishment to be quickly recalculated, without waiting for a full LCA.

Qweeko's role: automating LCA to make it accessible

Within this consortium comprising Eaton, Schneider Electric, Ecosystem and Terraquota, Qweeko has contributed its expertise in automating Life Cycle Assessment. After all, no matter how rigorous a method may be, it will only be adopted on an industrial scale if it can be implemented without requiring significant specialist resources.

Our platform enables manufacturers and distributors to automate the collection and processing of the environmental data required to calculate the carbon footprint of each device, without the additional energy consumption associated with manual processes. In practical terms, this means being able to measure the environmental impact of refurbished equipment by using the EEP of the original new product, item by item if necessary - and to produce reliable environmental declarations, based on a rigorous assessment, quickly and seamlessly.

Refurbishing, yes - but back it up with figures

The circular economy can only be scaled up to an industrial level with data that is consistently reliable and comparable. Refurbishing an electronic device significantly reduces its resource consumption, emissions, environmental impact and carbon footprint compared to manufacturing a new product, but this still needs to be demonstrated through a robust study.

This is precisely what this method enables: it gives industry players a concrete way to showcase their approach, whether to meet public procurement requirements, convince their key accounts, or inform their non-financial reporting.

Rexel has chosen to refurbish and has sold the equivalent of 4 million euros worth of refurbished devices in 2025. This figure is set to grow, provided that the environmental impact of this equipment is measurable, communicable and recognised by the entire ecosystem.

What this means in practice for manufacturers

For a manufacturer, this approach sets out a clear path: to calculate and document the carbon footprint of each reconditioned piece of equipment without waiting for a full LCA, using a baseline study and a recognised calculation model. The data produced will be hosted on Fab.Dis, the unified exchange repository for manufacturers and distributors.

An official method published by the PEP Ecopassport Programme is also expected in June 2026, making these environmental impact declarations eligible for the ISO 14025 standard - and therefore fully usable in tenders, CSR initiatives and commitments to the circular economy.

Would you like to automate the life cycle analysis of your products and highlight the carbon footprint of your refurbished range?

Contact our team.