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The circular economy of computers is about producing fewer, more durable and reusable products while investing in expanding their life span through a functional service economy. Reuse is often mentioned as a sustainable solution to linear consumption’s negative impacts. Shared ownership has potential advantages in life span extension computers over individual ownership. Moreover, it allows understanding how computers are used during their reuse phase to estimate lifecycle impacts and evaluate circular business models. This paper aims to identify specific success factors and barriers for shared property in four empirical cases of reused and servitised computers launched by eReuse, a collaborative computer reuse platform in Barcelona. The scope of the study is the impact of reused computers under different ownership-sharing scenarios and roles involved. Ethnographic action research and quantitative data help us analyse to what extent shared ownership models manage to lengthen the life span of computers and what roles and life extension strategies are beneficial to its optimal functionality. We found that roles as maintainers or activities such as product and software upgrading are essential to ensuring the dynamism and flexibility required to keep computers functional for an extended lifespan under a shared ownership model., The Spanish Government partially funded this work under contracts PID2019-106774RB-C21, PCI2019-111851-2 (LeadingEdge Chist-era), the NGI DLT4EU, NGI Policy in Practice, Subtract (Interreg Europe), the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), the Catalan Waste Agency, and the Barcelona City Council., Peer Reviewed, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::4 - Educació de Qualitat, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::8 - Treball Decent i Creixement Econòmic, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::10 - Reducció de les Desigualtats, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::11 - Ciutats i Comunitats Sostenibles, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum Responsables, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::13 - Acció per al Clima, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::15 - Vida d'Ecosistemes Terrestres, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::16 - Pau, Justícia i Institucions Sòlides, Postprint (author's final draft)

The digital world can be part of the solution to the coexistence of people and the planet, with large efficiencies gained through digital solutions, but it is part of the problem too, as it requires vast natural resources for digital devices in terms of participation. The challenge lies in satisfying the demand for digital devices for everyone, particularly for those with scarce resources, while preserving planetary limits. We have implemented and optimised a circular economy ecosystem that —through donation, refurbishment and traceability— delivers locally reused digital devices at a fair economic and environmental cost to citizens in need, providing satisfactory computing services and reducing the demand to manufacture new devices, which instead must be more durable. Following the sourcing of 10,000 computers, 1,000 have been successfully refurbished by local social enterprises and used by citizens in the city of Barcelona as a common good, herein we present an analysis of the achievements, limitations, and conditions of this model, which has already been replicated in other areas. It is feasible, and we also explore its scalability and sustainability in economic, social, and environmental contexts. We identify critical success factors, such as the roles of local public or private donors, social-support organisations, and ecosystem facilitators, in mediating among all actors involved., This work was partially funded by the Spanish government under contracts PID2019-106774RB-C21, and PCI2019-111851-2 (LeadingEdge Chist-era), the NGI-DLT4EU, NGI-Policy, NGI-Atlantic projects, Subtract (Interreg Europe), and the Waste Agency of the Catalonia. Many organisations and people have participated in the eReuse circuit and have contributed to improving the model: Pangea.org for supporting the eReuse project since its initial idea, the Centre of Cooperation for Development UPC, the City Councils of Barcelona, Sant Boi and Getafe, and the entities part of eReuse: Asociación Cultural La Kalle-Reutilizak, Solidança, Donalo.org, AndròminesAlencop, Fundación Esplai, Trinijove, TXT-UPC, Banc dels Aliments, Abacus, Sant Joan de Déu-Terres de l’Ebre, Punt de referència, among others., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)

Across the world there are many more end-user computing devices – including laptops, desktops, mobiles – than citizens; but still some citizens (3.7 billion, according to the ITU)1 cannot effectively participate in society due to the lack of access, meaningful use and appropriation of telecommunications and information and communications technology (ICT) goods. This situation has been worsened by COVID-19, with the out-of-school rate reaching 1985 levels.2 In 2019, USD 57 billion worth of recoverable metals such as gold, silver, copper and platinum included in electronic devices were discarded globally.3 It is an unpleasant figure if we take into account the known environmental and social violations that have been committed in the extraction, assembly and treatment of these raw materials. Manufacturing more devices is part of the problem. The production and consumption of devices that is non-circular and not inclusive is not sustainable for the planet and people. The reconciliation of the Earth’s planetary limits with human ICT needs in a dignified, just and sustainable way can be achieved through a holistic circular economy perspective.4 Sharing, repairing and reusing devices we are not using any more – even reusing recycled components or raw materials – is part of the solution. The collective management of a pool of devices and components results in a circular electronics ecosystem, a common-pool resource to satisfy the needs of the citizens involved. In this way, we can match the right device with the right need with minimal environmental impact, as devices can last much longer through reuse (refurbishment, repair, upgrade). This approach also helps ensure the social appropriation of ICT goods and services and creates local jobs. Social and environmental sustainability is directly linked to feeding, preserving and maintaining this pool of shared devices and people involved in their maintenance, while preventing any waste, otherwise called “circularity”. Computer, Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)

eReuse is an initiative and action-research project that since 2015 has iterated over research and activism to understand, develop, apply to communities, evaluate and scale-up the circular economy of digital devices. The work, in partnership with diverse organisations, has contributed to the transition towards a circular economy of digital devices that contributes effectively to sustainable development., This work was partially funded by the Spanish Government under contracts PID2019-106774RB-C21, and PCI2019-111851-2 (LeadingEdge Chist-era), and the Generalitat de Catalunya as Consolidated Research Group 2017-SGR-990, the NGI DLT4EU, NGI Policy in Practice, NGI Atlantic projects, Subtract (Interreg Europe), the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), and the Waste Agency of the Catalan government., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (author's final draft)