Circular Economy: Back Market Teams Up with Trail Running Champion Baptiste Chassagne to Fight Against “Fast Tech”

Founded in 2014, Back Market has established itself as Europe’s leading marketplace for refurbished electronics, with a strong presence in 17 countries. Its recent partnership with Baptiste Chassagne—the 2023 French long-distance trail running champion and a rising star on the global ultra-trail scene—further strengthens its commitment to much more responsible consumption.

For Charlotte Souleau, Back Market's Managing Director for France, the importance of this partnership is clear:

“This partnership isn’t just about visibility. It’s about consistency. It’s a shared human journey, a common struggle to demonstrate that performance and respect for the environment go hand in hand.”

On the other hand, Baptiste Chassagne makes no secret of his enthusiasm:

“Back Market isn’t just a socially conscious brand. It’s a brand that thinks differently. It’s a brand that takes action. It doesn’t just pay lip service. So when they asked me to work with them, I knew it was the right move.”

The Downside of “Fast Tech” and the Trap of Obsolescence

This partnership stems from a deep commitment to raising public awareness of the issues surrounding “fast tech.” Derived directly from the concept of “fast fashion” in the textile industry, this term refers to our modern tendency to overconsume technology: buying cheap electronic gadgets, upgrading our smartphones every two years to keep up with trends, or accumulating connected devices with short lifespans.

The statistics on obsolescence and electronic waste are alarming:

• Every year, more than 53 million metric tons of electronic waste are generated worldwide, and only a tiny fraction of it is properly recycled.
• In Europe, the average lifespan of a smartphone is just over 2 years, most often due to sealed batteries that cannot be replaced or software updates that intentionally slow down older models.

By entering the world of trail running and outdoor sports, Back Market is targeting a community of enthusiasts who are particularly committed to protecting the natural environment and who embrace sustainable performance.

The Eco-Friendly Showdown: New vs. Refurbished

To counter this trend, Back Market relies on a network of more than 1,800 professional refurbishment partners. Choosing a refurbished device over a brand-new one radically changes the environmental impact:

• Carbon footprint: Manufacturing a new smartphone generates approximately 80 kg of CO₂ (80% of which is emitted during the extraction of components at the factory). A refurbished model reduces this footprint by 90%.
• Drinking water: It takes more than 12,000 liters of water to manufacture a single new phone. Refurbishing phones saves nearly all of this precious resource.
• Raw materials: Buying used products prevents the destructive extraction of nearly 200 kg of raw materials (rare earth elements, gold, cobalt) needed for new circuits.

Since its founding, the young French company claims to have prevented the emission of 1.3 million metric tons of CO₂ through the resale of nearly 30 million devices. The company estimates that for every metric ton of CO₂ emitted by its own offices and transportation, it prevents more than 10 metric tons globally.

A community of athletes committed to the planet

Baptiste Chassagne isn't the only athlete to join the movement. Back Market is forging ever-closer ties with elite sports, particularly outdoor disciplines (rock climbing, surfing, mountain biking), where athletes see the effects of climate change on their playing fields every day.

These partnerships go beyond simply having a logo on a jersey: the athletes commit to using only refurbished technology (smart sports watches, phones, training computers) to prepare for their competitions, thereby proving that secondhand products meet the demands of elite-level competition.

Spectacular financial growth for the French unicorn

The effectiveness of this business model is reflected in its very strong financial results. In 2023, the French unicorn generated revenue of 320 million euros, a dramatic 45% increase year-over-year.

Total sales on the platform reached 2.2 billion euros (+32%). To support this success, the company now has more than 700 employees spread across strategic global hubs in Paris, Bordeaux, New York, Berlin, and Tokyo.