In the press

Media | 21 augustus 2021
3 benefits of refurbished IT devices

Second-hand is completely on the rise. And rightly so, because most that you need, someone else has already (had). If you need a 'new' phone, there is a good chance that you first look at what refurbished phones are available. But did you know that this is also possible with IT devices, such as computers or laptops? We have listed 5 advantages of refurbished IT devices for you.

What exactly is refurbished?

When you're looking for a new laptop, smartphone or maybe even security hardware, you'll soon see that the choice is huge when it comes to new products. However, for a few years now you have even more choice, namely in the refurbished products category. Second hand and of good quality. Refurbished it devices are devices that have already been used and have been given a second life. These devices have been fully checked, repaired and patched where necessary and put back on the market.

Biggest advantage: better for the environment

In an average household you will find plenty of IT equipment. Just think of the smartphones and even tablets that you use. When you choose refurbished IT equipment, you choose equipment that has already been used. The idea behind this is that it is more sustainable and cheaper. Because of the choice for refurbished, there is less and less demand for new products, which saves a huge amount of energy, raw materials and waste. To give you an idea, the ICT waste in 2020 was about 10 million kilos

Enough choice of refurbished products

What many people do not know is that you have a huge choice of refurbished products in all kinds of different models. Think of computers, desktops, monitors and laptops, but there is also refurbished security hardware, such as refurbished Cisco Security.

Warranty on refurbished

If you are in doubt, it might be good to know that refurbished products often come with a warranty. You do not have to deal with purchasing problems via second-hand sites, such as marktplaats. Therefore, choose such equipment from a recognized and high-quality (web) store. Always research this. A private individual who sells refurbished devices is slightly less reliable in that regard.

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Media | 218 augustus 2021
Vegan leather: the most sustainable alternative to traditional leather

Every year, about two billion square meters of leather comes onto the market. You need a lot of cows to produce that. These cows not only use a lot of land, they also need water and food and also emit a lot of methane, a major problem in livestock farming. In addition, many chemicals are needed to make leather from the cowhides. The production of leather is therefore not a clean industry.


That is why there are many developments in the world of artificial leather. Think of leather from fish skins, palm leaves, mango and pineapple peels and fungi. However, not every alternative to leather is equally sustainable. The majority of artificial leather is made of plastic. This imitation leather consists of a layer of fabric with microfibres or polyester. On top of this is a synthetic layer, such as polyurethane, a substance that is extracted from petroleum. This not only releases a lot of microplastics, but also CO2 emissions, because plastic is made from fossil fuels.

Vegetable leather does not last as long as traditional leather. It wears out faster, so you have to buy a replacement sooner. That is why some vegetable leather products are diluted with plastic, which makes the leather stronger and longer lasting. Or an extra layer has to be covered; often a plastic coating. That process is not yet entirely environmentally friendly.


Leather from plastic

Most alternative leather is made of plastic, and this leaves a large carbon footprint. The synthetic leatherette market was worth about $31.4 billion in 2020. Another study shows that this market will grow to $40.5 billion by 2027. Yet this is only a fraction of the entire leather industry. It is estimated to be worth $394.1 billion, which is thirteen times as much as the synthetic market.


Kweekleer

In addition to leather from vegetable or fossil products, there is another way to make the product sustainable: growing leather from a few cow cells. The Dutch start-up Qorium recently raised 2.6 million euros to scale up the cultivation of leather. How it works? To grow leather, they only need a few cells of real cowhide. From those few cells, Qorium can grow up to 100,000 square meters of leather. Per kilo, cultured leather requires 99 percent less water, 66 percent less energy and 36 percent less chemicals. And above all: no methane is released when growing leather. Growing a piece of leather takes about three to four weeks and requires little space.


It is still difficult for smaller organizations and start-ups to compete with the large companies in the traditional leather industry. Also, some experts are critical of alternatives to traditional leather. According to them, leather is not the product that keeps the meat industry going, but the consumption of meat. Leather is just a by-product and as long as meat production continues, we should be using that by-product.

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Media | 17 augustus 2021
Comparison sites need to be brighter

The rules for comparison sites for health insurance are being tightened. From now on, the sites must show the basic health care premiums, without any one-off discounts or premium discounts for a higher deductible.

 

Also, insurers that pay comparators commission for policies taken out should not be favored in the results of the comparison. Minister Edith Schippers of Public Health announced this on Thursday, De Telegraaf reports. According to Schippers, the comparators fulfill a 'crucial' role within the system. Because there are many different policies, consumers no longer see the wood for the trees. Comparators can help with this, but research has shown that policy information on the comparison sites has regularly been incorrect in recent years.

 

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Media | 16 augustus 2021
Stores mislead consumers with recommended prices
The Consumers' Association examined prices at the largest online stores that sell electronics, bicycles and baby items, and supplemented these with online stores that are often mentioned in price comparisons. Kamera Express, Keukenloods and Otto, among others, stated much higher recommended prices than the official recommended prices of the manufacturers. Made-up suggested retail prices For example, Kamera Express stated a suggested retail price of €409 for a Canon camera. This made the sale price of €289 seem much cheaper than it actually was. The real suggested retail price turned out to be €345. Kitchen shed did something similar. The store used a suggested retail price of €1599 for a Smeg dishwasher, while the actual suggested retail price was €1069. At a retail price of $779, the benefit was just over 27% instead of nearly 50%. Stubborn Shops are persistent in juggling with recommended and special prices. A 2018 study already revealed that 26 of the 40 stores surveyed violated the rules by falsely suggesting a price advantage. At that time, so-called 'van-prices' were often shown, which were in reality recommended retail prices. That's not allowed either. In a response, most stores let you know that it is a mistake. According to them, they have taken the prices from an old or wrong list. They also say that they periodically receive new recommended prices from the manufacturers, but they do not get around to adjusting the prices on their website. Olof King, Director of Consumers' Association advocacy: 'Whether it is a mistake or deliberate juggling with excessively high recommended prices, consumers are misled and that is not allowed. We will therefore continue to monitor this closely and address companies about it. And if necessary, we will also ask the supervisor to act.'
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Media | 16 augustus 2021
Acquisition with social impact
The Vegetarian Butcher is taken over by Unilever. Founder Jaap Korteweg will remain involved with the manufacturer of plant-based foods. The takeover fits in with De Vegetarische Slager's ambition to become the largest 'butcher' in the world, explains Korteweg. The brand's products are currently sold in 17 countries, while Unilever is active in 170 countries. According to Unilever, the purchase is in line with its plan to add more plant-based foods to its portfolio. There were more candidates to take over De Vegetarische Slager, says Korteweg. "From a purely financial point of view, we might have been better off going for a different offer, but we chose Unilever for the greatest possible growth. We want to be ten times as large in a few years, instead of five times as large." 'Acquisition does not stand in the way of innovation' Korteweg says he is not afraid that the takeover will make the brand less innovative. "The special thing about Unilever is that it looks for companies with a mission, and that they follow through. We are not the first in that sense." "Just think of the ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's, which has been owned by the multinational for eighteen years and is still innovating. They recently came up with vegan ice cream, a very good and successful product," says Korteweg. The founder, who remains connected to the brand as an "inspirator", sees a similar future for De Vegetarische Slager. "Until now we developed our products with a small group of people, but with Unilever there will soon be hundreds. So we can only get better from it." Korteweg once kept cows himself, but became a vegetarian and founded De Vegetarische Slager in 2007. Over the years, the brand has collaborated with various meat makers, including Unilever brand Unox and snack bar chain Smullers, on the development of meat substitutes.
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