Buying refurbished is better for the planet than buying new, mainly because most of a device's carbon footprint is created when it's made. A refurbished device skips that step. That's the short answer on the environmental impact of refurbished devices, but the longer answer has caveats, and you should hear them before you hear anyone's sales pitch, ours included.

We sell refurbished Apple products, so weigh what follows accordingly. We've used Apple's own reports and independent research, linked at the end, and where the numbers are loose we've said so.

The short version

• Manufacturing is the biggest slice of an Apple device's lifetime emissions. For the MacBook Air with M4, Apple puts production at 71% of the total.

• A refurbished device avoids another production run, which is where most of those emissions sit.

• The size of the saving depends on the model, so treat any single headline number with care.

• Refurbishing isn't zero-impact. Testing, transport, packaging and replacement parts all add something.

• The world generated 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022 and formally recycled less than a quarter of it.

Where a device's carbon footprint comes from

Apple publishes a product environmental report for each new device, and they're useful because they split the footprint by stage of the device lifecycle. Take the MacBook Air with M4. Apple estimates the 15-inch model with 512GB of storage at 155 kg of CO2e over its life. Of that, 71% comes from production, which covers mining and refining materials, making components, assembly and packaging. Another 25% is the electricity used while you own it, 3% is transport, and less than 1% is end-of-life processing. The smaller 13-inch model with 256GB comes in at 120 kg.

That 25% for use assumes four years with one owner, which is Apple's modelling assumption for a Mac. So roughly 110 kg of CO2e (71% of 155 kg) was spent before the laptop left the factory. The pattern holds across the company: Apple's Environmental Progress Report, as reported by ESG Today, puts product manufacturing at more than half of Apple's total footprint.

This is the point the rest of the argument hangs on. The emissions from making a device are locked in the day it's built. They don't disappear if the first owner upgrades after two years, and they don't grow if a second owner gets another three out of it.

How refurbishing changes the device lifecycle

A standard device lifecycle runs from make to use to dispose. Refurbishing adds a second round of use before the disposal step, so the same embedded carbon is spread over more years of actual use. This is how it works at MacStore UK:

1. Devices are sourced from business fleets and suppliers across the UK.

2. Each one goes through diagnostics using Blancco, whose platform offers more than 86 automated tests covering things like battery, display, ports and wireless.

3. Data is erased, the software is restored to factory settings, the battery is assessed and a cosmetic grade is applied.

4. The device is listed with a 12-month warranty and a Blancco report.

None of that is free. Testing uses electricity, devices get shipped, and some need parts. For scale, Apple's data puts transport at 3% of a new MacBook Air's footprint. Those steps matter, but the research below suggests the net effect still favours refurbished.

What the carbon savings really look like

Carbon savings are where refurbished marketing gets slippery, so here's what three credible sources actually say.

Put those side by side and the honest summary is that the saving is real, but it varies a lot. Apple's figure for a recent MacBook Air is well below the 316 kg you'll see quoted for laptops in general, partly because Apple has cut its manufacturing emissions sharply. The company says its total footprint is now 60% below 2015 levels. That's good news. It also means skipping a new, recent-model Mac saves less carbon than skipping one built a decade ago would have.

Two things shape the saving more than anything else. One is how long the device stays in use after you buy it, because every extra year is production you haven't had to repeat. The other is what had to be replaced along the way. ADEME's study found that the more parts a refurbisher replaces, the smaller the advantage, and the longer you keep the device, the bigger it gets. That's why battery health is worth checking: every grade we sell is guaranteed at 80% or above, and Premium at 90% or above. Our guide to refurbished MacBook battery health explains what those numbers mean in practice.

E-waste and circular tech

Circular tech is the idea of keeping devices in use for as long as possible and recovering their materials only when they can't be used any more. Reuse sits above recycling in the waste hierarchy because it keeps the whole working device, and the energy that went into making it, in play instead of breaking it down into raw materials.

The scale of the problem is large. The UN's Global E-waste Monitor 2024 found that the world generated 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022, up 82% since 2010, and only 22.3% was documented as formally collected and recycled. It expects the total to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030.

Refurbishing pulls devices out of that stream before they join it. Our sustainability page counts 22,600 devices given a second life so far, and anything we can't resell goes to WEEE-compliant recycling partners.

Apple is getting greener too. Does that change the answer?

A little. Apple's recent Macs are built with much more recycled material than older ones. The MacBook Air with M4 contains over 55% recycled content, including a 100% recycled aluminium enclosure, recycled cobalt in the battery and, according to Apple, 100% recycled lithium in the battery cathode. Those improvements cut the footprint of every new unit, and they deserve credit.

Buying new isn't wrong. But even a cleanly built new device adds to total production, and a refurbished one doesn't. Honestly, the lowest-impact choice is to keep the device you already own for longer. When you do need to replace it, refurbished is the next best option.

How to check a refurbisher's environmental claims

Plenty of sellers say "better for the planet" without much behind it. These five questions are worth asking before you buy from anyone, and here's how we answer them.

• Is there a source for the carbon figure, and does it cover the same kind of device? Ours are linked at the end of this article.

• Is every device tested, and can you see the result? Ours are tested with Blancco, and each device has a Blancco report.

• Is the warranty in writing? Ours is 12 months, with a 30-day return policy.

• What happens to battery health? Every grade is guaranteed at 80% or above, and Premium at 90% or above. 

• Where do devices go if they can't be sold? Ours go to WEEE-compliant recycling partners.

One more point on grades. They describe how a device looks and how its battery is doing, and every grade is fully functional. So a Fair-grade device has the same environmental benefit as a Premium one. If you're weighing them up, our guide to what Premium, Excellent, Good and Fair mean is a good place to start.

Explore refurbished Apple devices

If you've decided to go refurbished, you can browse by category: refurbished MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, iPad, iPhone or Apple Watch. Not sure what to look for? The refurbished MacBook buyer's guide covers what to check before you buy.

Explore refurbished Apple devices with a 12-month warranty and a 30-day return policy.

Frequently asked questions

1. Is buying refurbished better for the environment than buying new?

In most cases, yes. Most of a device's carbon footprint comes from making it. Apple puts production at 71% of the lifetime footprint of a MacBook Air with M4, and a refurbished device avoids another production run. Keeping the device you already own for longer is better still.

2. How much carbon does a refurbished laptop save?

It depends on the model. A Cranfield University study found about 316 kg of CO2e avoided per remanufactured laptop, while Apple's figures put production for a 15-inch MacBook Air with M4 at roughly 110 kg. ADEME found that refurbished laptops avoid between 43% and 97% of the annual impact of a new one, depending on the measure and the refurbisher.

3. Does refurbishing a device have an environmental cost of its own?

Yes, a small one. Testing, transport, packaging and replacement parts all add something, and batteries and screens are among the heavier parts. Apple puts transport at 3% of a new MacBook Air's footprint, which gives a sense of scale.

4. What is circular tech?

Circular tech means keeping devices in use for as long as possible through reuse, refurbishment and repair, and recycling their materials only when the device can't be used any more. Buying refurbished is one way to take part.

5. What happens to refurbished devices that can't be resold?

At MacStore UK, devices that can't be resold go to WEEE-compliant recycling partners.

6. Does the grade change the environmental impact?

No. Grades describe cosmetic condition and battery health, and every device is fully functional and tested. The production emissions avoided are the same whichever grade you choose.

7. Are MacStore UK's refurbished devices tested and covered by warranty?

Yes. Every device is tested using Blancco technology, graded for cosmetic condition and covered by a 12-month warranty, with a 30-day return policy.