Innovation, ISO and CO2

Second-hand often comes with suspicion. Even though something becomes “used” the moment it’s turned on, people still question what a reused product has been through. And while around 4% of all new electronics have factory defects, there's still more worry about reused equipment—despite the fact that those factory defects have already been identified and resolved. After all, it’s been tested!

Bridging this trust gap is one of the biggest challenges in the reuse industry. The solution lies in proven, recognized practices and constant innovation. Inrego was quick to adopt ISO certifications—while these standards often lag behind the processes needed to deliver top-quality products and services, they help build trust. Personally, I had some experience from my thesis as a business student in Lund: Closing the Books on Quality.

We achieved our first certification—ISO 14001 for Environmental Management—in 2005. ISO 9001 for Quality followed in 2007. In 2008, Inrego became the second company in Sweden to join ISO 27001 for Information Security, and in 2011 we added OHSAS 18001 for Occupational Health and Safety.

But ISO certifications alone aren’t enough to drive progress. On a ferry to Gotland in 2010, on our way to Inrego’s annual kick-off, the idea emerged: we needed a CO₂ reporting system to clearly show how effective reuse really is—and how it ties into our customers’ own sustainability goals. The system didn’t exist, but we found a calculation model from the Technical University of Berlin that gave us a solid foundation. We built the system on the principle: “This is the best we can do right now—and we’ll keep improving it as knowledge and research evolve.” That’s how it came to life.

Business is all about timing. In 2012, Inrego became the first company in the world to sequester its carbon emissions through a project called Biorecro. It was too early. It didn’t gain traction or recognition—but it was a serious attempt, and that kind of solution is starting to matter now, a decade later.

Another project involved converting a Porsche using old batteries. That one… had mixed results. But Filip, the person we supported, now runs Opibus—building electric vehicles in Kenya, which is making a real impact.

One innovation that did work—and that we still use today—is our keyboard printer. It lets us reprint key layouts so that keyboards match the language and market where the computer will be used.

Other early projects from Inrego include the “Customer Portal,” allowing organizations to track all their devices in one place—complete with serial numbers, CO₂ savings, erasure certificates, and financial data. Then there was “Flexhyra,” a service tailored to large education companies with fluctuating IT needs, and “Residual Value”—a solution where Inrego commits to guaranteeing future buyback prices for IT equipment, helping customers and financing partners improve their investment calculations.

Sustainability isn’t about being perfect. It’s about direction—making progress and being honest about where you stand.