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Almost 60% of Latvians are open to purchasing second-hand electronics, according to a survey* by the waste management company Eco Baltia Vide. Of these, 64% would consider it if the price was favorable, while just over half indicated they would do so if there were official repair and sales centers for electronics in Latvia. Now, this opportunity has arrived: on January 16, Eco Baltia Vide opened the specialized Lab!veikals, where anyone can purchase refurbished electronics for 30–50% less than the cost of new devices.

As in previous studies, Latvians report buying new electronics about once every four years, with 87% having purchased at least one electronic device in the past year. However, only 8% said they buy used electronics, even though nearly six out of ten are open to the idea. The main motivation for considering used electronics is price, cited by almost two-thirds of respondents, while over half would purchase refurbished devices if official repair and sales centers were available.

Now, Eco Baltia Vide offers this solution. Last year, within the framework of the Euoropean Union’s LIFE Waste To Resources IP project, Eco Baltia Vide launched the Lab! electronics repair workshop, which helped return over 1,000 devices to use within a year. Starting January 16, the workshop is joined by Lab!veikals, where all items are either made from recycled materials or refurbished and reintroduced into circulation. At the store, customers can purchase repaired electronics with a warranty, priced 30–50% lower than new ones. These devices undergo technical repairs, including component replacement and functionality restoration, as well as upgrades like software updates and improvements, and cosmetic repairs such as scratch removal and finish restoration.

Over 20% of Latvians are also motivated to buy used electronics for environmental reasons, such as resource conservation and extending the product lifecycle. Choosing refurbished electronics significantly reduces one’s carbon footprint and the CO₂ emissions associated with the production of new devices. For instance, repairing a laptop instead of buying a new one reduces CO₂ emissions by 300 kg, saves up to 190,000 liters of water, and prevents 2 kg of electronic waste. Similarly, repairing a washing machine instead of replacing it saves enough energy to power a refrigerator continuously for 40 days.

“Electronic devices contain plastics, heavy metals, dioxins, and furans, which, if improperly managed, can pollute the environment. Reducing CO₂ emissions by 100 kg is equivalent to recycling 100 kg of plastic. Extending the lifespan of a device by 1–2 years can reduce e-waste by 30% annually. From all perspectives, buying used electronics is both rational and sustainable. However, based on the popularity of second-hand clothing stores, it seems Latvians are more willing to wear someone else’s clothes than boil water in someone else’s kettle, which is quite surprising. We hope our new store will inspire people to give things a second chance,” says Jānis Aizbalts, Chairman of the Board of Eco Baltia Vide.

 Only slightly more than half of Latvians said they try to repair electronics if they suddenly break – a significant drop from 66% in 2022 to 54% last year. At the same time, the number of people using repair services outside manufacturer warranties has increased (from 15% to 20%). Most often, repairs were done on computer equipment (41%), large household appliances (37%), and mobile phones (35%), while about a quarter repaired small household appliances. Regarding repair quality, 91% were either fully or mostly satisfied with the results.

The biggest obstacle to buying used electronics is the belief that they won’t function properly (66%). Additionally, 42% pointed out that used devices don’t come with a warranty. To address this, Lab!veikals will provide a warranty for all components repaired or replaced at its workshop.

Lab!veikals is located at 240 Latgales Street, Riga, and is open:

Wednesday to Friday: 12.00–19.00

Saturday: 12.00–17.00

In addition to electronics, the store offers a variety of Latvian-made products crafted from recycled materials, such as clothing from the brand “Pārtapis,” wooden interior decor by Matīss Mickus, and jewelry by Edīte Gūta, among others.

*Survey commissioned by Eco Baltia Vide and conducted by Norstat in June 2024, surveying 1,010 Latvian residents aged 18–74.