The year 2026 entered economic history through a major gateway called "circular commerce," not just as a sophisticated, sustainable concept, but as a complete business system that measures success by the number of times a product remains functional in the consumer's hands, not by the number of units sold for the first time. Resale platforms grew at three times the rate of traditional retail in the last twelve months, and secondhand fashion became a staple in middle-class budgets, reflecting financial savvy rather than simply being a cheap option. Companies that haven't adapted their model to support "repair-upgrade-rent-remanufacturing" are rapidly losing market share, while new companies are thriving, adopting product-as-a-service (PAS) subscription services and building circular supply chains that insulate the economy against oil and energy shocks.
Undeniable Figure:
- The global market size for circular commerce exceeded $3.4 trillion in 2026, compared to $1.2 trillion in 2022, according to the research firm Circular Metrics.
- Average household spending on recycled products in Europe reached $1,800 annually, surpassing spending on new non-food products for the first time.
- Repelle, the resell platform for refurbished electronics, recorded 42 million transactions in the first quarter of 2026, a 280% increase compared to the same period last year.
- A recent McKinsey survey shows that 68% of American and European consumers prefer brands that offer repair and upgrade services, even if the initial price is 12% higher.
From “Selling” to “Keeping”: Why Has the Equation Changed?
The Economics of Scarce Resources
The projected 45% increase in copper prices and 38% increase in lithium prices by 2025 has prompted companies to re-extract these metals from their old products instead of importing new raw materials. Each fully recycled smartphone saves 324 grams of gold, platinum, and copper, with a market value exceeding $120—equivalent to a manufacturer's profit from selling a new device.
Strict Legislation
- The European “Right to Repair” law (effective from January 2026) requires companies to make spare parts available for ten years at a “reasonable” price and mandates that products be designed to be disassembled within 30 minutes using common household tools.
- The United States has implemented “carbon disclosure” for electronic products; any device that does not display a clear “carbon footprint” is fined 5% of its sales value.
Financial and Social Awareness
Generation Z (1997–2012) now represents 42% of global purchasing power; they are strongly associated with sustainability values and skilled at finding bargains on used goods through online platforms. Buying a product without a “recycling date” is now socially unappealing in some circles, much like buying a product without a “Fair Trade” label was two decades ago.
New Business Models: From Product to Service
Electronics: Subscribe and Upgrade
Phoneflow sells an annual subscription ($299) that includes a smartphone, internal component updates every 18 months, free repairs, and refurbishment of the old device. Subscriptions grew by 320% in 2026, and customer retention reached 96%, compared to 54% for the traditional retail model.
Fashion: Renting Fashion
ClosetLaub allows renters to rent dresses and suits for a week at 15% of the purchase price. The items are then washed, repaired, and rented again up to 30 wear cycles before the fibers are recycled. The platform's annual revenue tripled, while fashion waste in Europe decreased by 11% in one year.
Furniture: Repair as a One-Stop Service
IKEA launched IKEA Care: a mobile technician arrives within 24 hours to repair any product or replace a damaged part for no more than 20% of the price of a new product. The service led to an 18% increase in brand loyalty and a 22% decrease in return requests.
Reverse Logistics: The New Gold
- The reverse logistics market reached $728 billion in 2026 and is expected to exceed $1 trillion by 2029.
- Companies like Delivers use artificial intelligence to determine the optimal route for collecting used products from homes and then directing them to the nearest recycling center, reducing transportation emissions by 34%.
- In Germany, consumers can now order a "recycle card" through a single app that consolidates products from multiple brands into one box, which is then transported by rail to overnight sorting centers.
Achieved Environmental and Economic Impact
- Carbon emissions associated with European consumption fell by 7% in 2026 for the first consecutive year in two decades.
- Saving 18 billion cubic meters of water by reducing cotton cultivation by 9% and replacing part of the demand with recycled fibers.
- 2.3 million new jobs in the repair, re-manufacturing, and reverse transport sectors, 42% of which are for young people under 30.
Remaining Obstacles
The “New is Better” Culture
In some emerging markets, buying used is still seen as a sign of deficiency; marketing campaigns need to reinforce the idea that “remanufactured” products are superior to the originals thanks to inspection and modernization processes.
Initial Costs
Establishing remanufacturing centers and training workers requires significant investment; governments have begun offering low-interest loans at 2%, but demand still exceeds available capacity.
Standards and Conformity
The lack of a unified global standard for classifying “remanufactured” products causes confusion for consumers. The European Union is working on a "circular blue label" expected to launch in late 2026.
Scenarios until 2030
Likely Scenario: Controlled Expansion
- 2027: All mobile phones sold in the EU and the US will be required to carry a "digital passport" that tracks 95% of the components.
- 2028: The refurbished electronics market will represent 40% of total device sales, and artificial intelligence mechanisms will be employed to predict malfunctions before they occur.
- 2029: Major cities (Barcelona, San Francisco) announce achieving "zero e-waste" by adopting reverse logistics at a rate of 85%.
- 2030: The minimum content of recycled materials in any plastic product is raised to 50%, reducing oil imports of plastic by approximately 70 million barrels annually.
Conclusion: The new value is lifespan.
Circular commerce is no longer just about "sustainability" but has become the optimal avenue for profitability in a world suffering from material shortages, rising energy costs, and inflation. Companies that extend the lifespan of their products gain consumer loyalty, reduce their vulnerability to price shocks, and open up a new market for "refurbished services." Consumers, in turn, no longer evaluate smart devices based solely on the lowest price, but rather on "cost per use," "carbon footprint," and "ease of repair."
In short, commerce in 2026 is redefining value: not the commodity you buy, but how many times you can use it without costing the planet or your pocket a fortune.
