Alchemy Blog

Sustainable reverse logistics: rethinking returns for retail and the circular economy

Admin — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 23:00:00 GMT

A hidden opportunity

With the advent of online shopping, returns have become a daily reality for retailers. And with that comes a hidden but substantial cost. According to IHL Group, overstock – including unsold, returned, and warranty-covered products – costs retail businesses $562 billion a year. It’s wasteful, unsustainable, and expensive. But it’s more than just a challenge – it’s an untapped opportunity.

Alchemy Accelerates Growth with Appointment of Fraser Parker

Admin — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 23:00:00 GMT

We’re excited to welcome Fraser Parker as our new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), the second addition to our senior leadership team in 2025 as we continue our global expansion.

Recommerce 101: Rethinking how tech gets used

Rachel Gaughan — Mon, 19 May 2025 23:00:00 GMT

As sustainability takes centre stage in the global economy, businesses are rethinking the way products are made, used, and disposed of. One of the most powerful and tangible solutions emerging from the transition to a circular economy is recommerce.

What is recommerce?

Also known as reverse commerce, recommerce is the practice of refurbishing and repairing used products, then putting them back out into circulation rather than scrapping them. Think of it as retail rebuilt around reuse – and at Alchemy, we’re building the infrastructure that’s making recommerce not only a sustainable alternative, but the go-to choice.

From landfill to life extension

The recommerce industry addresses some of the most pressing environmental issues we face today, from e-waste to carbon emissions and raw material extraction. The scale of e-waste alone is staggering; it's the fastest-growing waste stream on the planet. A single smartphone can produce up to 85kg of carbon emissions during its lifecycle – with most of this stemming from raw material extraction.

This makes the environmental savings from refurbishment hard to ignore. A single refurbished smartphone can save up to 244kg of raw materials, conserve over 76,000 litres of water, and prevent 200g of e-waste from entering landfill. Every refurbished device is an opportunity not only to reduce environmental impact, but to create circular value from what would otherwise be discarded. Scale up this practice across entire industries, and recommerce will have a transformative effect.

Enabling a truly circular tech economy

At Alchemy, we’ve built a global recommerce solution that allows over 3,000 partners across 60 markets to recover, process, and remarket secondary tech. To date, we’ve enabled the return of over nine million devices to the market – not only bringing high-quality, affordable products to more people, but supporting our partners on their Scope 3 reduction journey.

More businesses are turning to circularity-as-a-service models because they recognize the challenges of managing circular programs in-house. From diagnostics and data-wiping to refurbishment, repair, resale, and reporting – our recommerce platform handles the complexity, allowing partners to focus on what they do best while accelerating their sustainability journeys.

More impact, fewer trade-offs

Historically, concerns about the quality of refurbished devices have held back adoption. But modern recommerce defies that perception. We are guaranteeing that refurbished products meet strict performance, appearance, and reliability benchmarks, by working with leading OEMs who audit and inspect our processes to make sure they meet quality standards. Refurbished devices typically cost 20–60% less than new products, yet deliver the same utility – with the added assurance that we’re helping the planet.

This kind of dual benefit gives businesses a real edge. Customers stick around for longer, stay engaged with your ecosystem, and come to trust the affordable, high-quality alternatives you offer – especially when they're backed by solid warranties, high quality aftercare, and clear sustainability credentials.

Scale smarter, act faster with a recommerce solution

Launching a full-blown circular tech program is no small task. Managing trade-ins, testing, refurbishment, data wiping, resale – all while ensuring impeccable customer experience – adds complexity that many brands simply aren’t set up to handle. That’s why more leading companies are choosing to work with us as a circularity partner.

Recommerce in 2025 isn’t just a headline. It’s about unlocking untapped value and building resilience in your supply chain. And it’s about aligning your business with a future that’s already taking shape.

Ready to power your circular tech journey? Get in touch with our team.

UK central government’s approach to refurbished tech and trade ins: the data

Admin — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 23:00:00 GMT

The UK central government is by far the public sector’s biggest spender, accounting for £9.2 billion in 2022. For context, that’s more than the next three heaviest-spending sectors combined – education (£3.2bn), local government (£2.9bn) and healthcare (£2.8bn).

Alchemy Recognised on the FT1000 List for Second Consecutive Year

Admin — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT

For the second year running, we’ve been included in the world-renowned Financial Times FT1000 list, which recognises Europe’s fastest-growing companies.

Alchemy Strengthens Global Team with Appointment of John Doughty

Admin — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT

After a phenomenal 2024 here at Alchemy, we’re thrilled to announce the appointment of John Doughty as our new SVP of Global Partnerships. Based in Kansas City, John will grow our partnerships and expand our footprint, both in the US and globally.

Alchemy Scoops Google's "Growing New Technology" Award and Ranks 32nd in Deloitte Technology Fast 50

Admin — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT

As a testament to our role as leaders in the circular tech space, we have been recognised with the ‘Growing New Technology’ Award at this year’s Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards Ireland, in association with Google. The title has historically been awarded to companies that have created or introduced innovative products or services to international markets – and now we join the list.

Alchemy Achieves Record $711 Million Revenue, Fueling Circular Economy Growth

Admin — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 23:00:00 GMT

Over the past year, we’ve continued to see rising demand for sustainable technology solutions. This, combined with our investments in innovation, has allowed us to reach a record $711 million in revenue for the latest financial year. This figure marks a 60% increase from last year's $443 million, signifying our commitment and success in expanding the circular tech economy.

Alchemy Recognized in Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA: A Testament to Our Sustainable Tech Growth and Global Impact

Admin — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 23:00:00 GMT

Following our 11th place ranking in Deloitte Ireland’s Technology Fast 50 Awards earlier this year, we have now been recognized among the fastest-growing technology companies in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa with the release of the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA.

How to save up to 70% on tech costs with Loop Business

Admin — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 23:00:00 GMT

Let's start with a question: how much does your business spend annually on devices for employees? And a second question: has that number increased or decreased in recent years?