Why and how we do it
We have made it our business to help people live more sustainable by smart use of technology, and at the same time minimize our negative impact on the environment.
Sustainability
Elkjøp Sustainability Strategy
Technology brings amazing possibilities, but not without challenges. The electronics industry has a significant footprint, and electronic waste is in fact the world´s fastest growing waste stream. While products are becoming ever more energy efficient, their production is energy intensive. Many electronic products also contain scarce and precious materials, and thus products need a long life and they need to be recycled at life´s end.
We are a part of an industry that will have to undergo massive transformations this coming decade. We can´t fix everything alone, but as the biggest electronics retailer in the Nordics, we acknowledge our responsibility to help reduce the footprint from our operations, our products and from repair services that prolong product life. Our customers want to live a more sustainable life, and we will do our best to make it possible. We are ready to take the lead, inviting our suppliers, partners and our customers to join us on the mission towards a circular economy where we Reduce, Reuse, Repair and Recycle.
We focus our environmental work on four key areas
1: Reduce emissions from own operations
2: Selling energy efficient and nearly new products
3: Helping prolong the life of our products
4: Making sure products are reused and recycled
WE GIVE TECH LONGER LIFE.
Reduce emissions from own operations
We are working to make all parts of our own operations free from emissions, by reducing the electricity consumption in our stores and warehouses, sourcing only renewable energy and introducing zero emission transport across our Nordic operations. In addition to this, a large number of smaller initiatives which together makes a real difference.
Reducing energy consumption
We monitor energy consumption throughout the year and map our stores on consumption per square meter. All new stores are of course fitted with LED lighting and we are working to change to LED in existing stores as well. In FY 23/24 we reduced electricity consumption by 8%.
Fossil-free fuels
Through the initiative ”Logistics with the heart” one standard transport contract secures a stronger commitment within sustainability, traffic safety, language knowledge, working conditions and fair wages.
Our products and suppliers
Our greatest footprint comes from the products we sell. The products and services we offer is the area in which we can make the biggest difference. We know that many consumers want to live in a more environmentally and climate-friendly way but think it is difficult. At Elkjøp, we want to make it easier to make more sustainable choices. As products with higher energy labelling use less energy throughout their life cycle, it leads to both less costs and emissions. The total share of sales of A - C energy rated washing machines has increased from 70% to 80% in the last year. In the year to come we plan to further increase the range and share of products with high energy label.
EcoVadis
We have partnered with EcoVadis, which is screening and rating our suppliers’ sustainability efforts. Scores from selected suppliers are available on our websites across the Nordics. The collaboration with EcoVadis makes it easier for us to follow up our suppliers and easier for customers to know how everything is produced.
Trained staff
Our staff is trained to guide you to the most energy efficient products. We are also working on implementing environmental parameters on product level, to offer information on any 3.party labels, availability of spare parts in years and expected lifetime. We are willing to take the first step in challenging the whole industry in showing this information to consumers.
Outlet
At our outlet, in stores and online, you can choose among a large and growing number of used products at bargain prices.
Protection from day one
When customers buy our amazing technology, we can help protect it from day one with our range of services and insurance plans. Customers want to enjoy technology and that’s why, through our extended warranties and tech insurance plans, many of our customers are getting peace of mind and giving their tech a longer life.
Long live your tech!
One of our key sustainability challenges is to help prolong the lifespan of the products we sell. At Elkjøp, Elgiganten and Gigantti, we offer high quality products, and help you get the most out of these products. In general, it is often more environmentally friendly to repair old devices and appliances, than to purchase a new - even if the new product is more energy efficient. We want to make sure it is also convenient and cost-efficient to repair old products.
Repairs – online and in stores
We have both online and in-store service desks that can help you with technical issues and upgrades of your phone or computer to keep it up to speed and up to date. All our stores can answer questions you may have about broken products and repairability. In addition, we are rolling out in-store repair in many of our larger stores. Did you know that we repair more than 700.000 products every year?
Elcare
In 2015 we bought Infocare Workshops, now named Elcare Nordic with the specific purpose of independently being able to do repairs in a scaled-up operation. Even more important we wanted to secure a repair set-up locally in the Nordics, for the best to our customers, suppliers and the environment, versus sending products all over Europe and back. At Elcare, we also offer one of the largest electronics spare part shop in the Nordics, so the customers can do the easy fixes themselves, if they want to.
New life
To help consumers give their tech longer life, Elkjøp has created a whole online universe with articles, tips and tricks and how-to guides on taking care of products. Cleaning earplugs, changing the filter in the washing machine, making the coffee machine clean again - we help you take care of your amazing tech! For further information, look at our website:
Gi tingene dine lengre levetid - guider og artikler | Elkjøp (elkjop.no)
Can it be repaired instead of replaced?
We all love new technology and want to feel good about buying something new. But we also know that not only is the total amount of materials consumed by the global economy continuing to rise, but electronic waste is also the world’s fastest growing waste stream. It is expected to grow to nearly 82 million tonnes by 2030, according to The Global E-waste Monitor 2024.
We must face facts: we can’t keep throwing stuff away. At Elkjøp, we don’t just sell amazing technology; we save it too.
We offer repair services in some stores, and in our central repair centre Elcare. We kno wthat many consumers want to repair their product. In stores we now have big signs saying, “Can it be repaired instead of replaced?”
NewStart
In 2023, we launched our refurbished concept NewStart in all markets - our refurbished smartphone proposition where products are sold with the same warranties and consumers rights as new products.
Recycling
We encourage consumers to recycle and to bring old tech back to our stores, as the circular economy is dependent on getting used materials back into the loop. In 23/24 we collected 4 million units of e-waste, a slight decrease compared to last year, as this highly correlates with sales numbers.
While most of the larger electronic products such as washing machines and TVs are collected, there is a challenge in all markets to collect smaller electronic devices such as cables, power banks and the like. These are more likely to end up in the general trash. Similarly, mobile phones, tablets and other devices with stored data, remain with customers and are not entered into the circular economy, due to fear of private data going astray.
Communicating to, and assuring customers of Secure collect containers in stores, so that no employees or others will be in contact with the products consumers return to recycle is something we have become more aware of and wish to communicate clearly.
Environmental Management System ISO 14001
Elkjøp is proud to be certified according to ISO 14001 Environmental Management System. ISO 14001 is helping us proactively manage and limit all parts of Elkjøp’s impact on the environment. The certification is performed by DnV, an independent third party, showing our obligations and performance on how we actively reduce the environmental impact of our business, products and services to a minimum.
The certificate applies to all our entities: Elgiganten AB, Elgiganten Logistik AB, Elkjøp Norge AS, Elgiganten AS and Gigantti OY and Elkjøp Nordic AS.
See full ISO 14001 certificate
Here you find our Environmental Policy
Responsible Supply Chain
Elkjøp wants to take responsibility for promoting ethical trade in our supply chain, as a responsible business we are committed to using our scale and expertise to be a force for good in the world. Supply chains in the electronics industry are often long and complex, for a supplier to manufacture a product, raw materials and components are sourced from several sub-suppliers from different countries.
It is part of our sustainability strategy to do what we can to influence actors in these complex supply chains, to take responsibility for ensuring basic human rights and decent working conditions for everyone involved. As a retailer, we believe that we fulfill our responsibility best by cooperating with our suppliers, demanding acceptable control systems from those who have a direct impact on the supply chain.
We require that our suppliers comply with our standards and policies or that the supplier complies with corresponding standards as part of their management system, in order to ensure responsible sourcing.
We use Ecovadis to assess how well our suppliers work with sustainability. Check out: Ecovadis - Slik følger Elkjøp opp leverandørene | Elkjøp (elkjop.no)
Download Elkjøp Nordic Responsible Sourcing Policy
If you have any questions, please contact responsiblesourcing@elkjop.no
Corporate Responsibility
Elkjøp Foundation
We have established The Elkjøp Foundation to fight digital exclusion. We work to raise awareness, increase knowledge and enable access to people who are falling behind in the rapid development of technology.
To connect, play or learn with technology should be easy and fun but that is not always the case. That is why The Elkjøp Foundation supports organisations and associations with products and guidance - in addition to financial resources. This is work we are incredibly proud of!
Learn more and apply
Logistics with the heart
The logistics industry in Europe have struggeled with a bad reputation due to several cases of explotation of cheap labour for many years. To take a stand and show our responsibility Elkjøp Nordic started the initiative ”Logistics with the heart” back in 2015. We moved from one freight forwarder to signing with only 16 companies still covering the entire Nordics. One standard contract secures a stronger commitment within sustainability, traffic safety, language knowledge, working conditions and fair wages. Despite being a big player, we rather use slightly smaller companies that are committed and want to work with us to find the best solutions.
Help us fight digital exclusion
Through our anual research Tech Trouble, we have identified a number of groups that due to age, socioeconomic status, disabilities, language and cultural barriers, or other matters, find themselves on the wrong side of the technological class divide.
According to our research one out of three in the Nordics find it difficult to keep up with the changes in technology, and 20 percent say they have products at home that they do not know how to use. Even more admit that they are not utilizing their products to its full potential, not knowing how to use all the features.
See Tech Trouble 2022
Culture
We are proud of our strong culture, created through our history and a foundation of our success. Working for Elkjøp Nordic should be fun and challenging. Our team spirit is high, and we take pride and have great faith in what we can do and accomplish together. Our common objective is always to make sure our customers are happy, where our values Responsibility, Engagement and Efficiency guide us and are at the core of everything we do.
Values
Engagement
Engagement creates great customer experiences as well as a great workplace. To fuel our engagement, we need to encourage each other, by sharing, achieving and celebrating. Work is more fun and more meaningful when we make an effort to make a difference – for our ourselves, our colleagues and our customers. It takes real dedication to grow, and real engagement to be truly dedicated. The drive to do our best is what makes our co-workers stay and our customers return. It is an attitude that is the very heart of our culture.
Responsibility
Responsibility is how we earn the trust of our
co-workers, our customers and the community. That means truly listening to every customer and give great advice, every time. It means doing business in a way that is in line with our policies and ethical standards. It is our responsibility to contribute to the quality of life of our customers, our employees and society at large. We have made it our business to help people live more sustainably by smart use of technology and at the same time minimize our negative impact on the environment.
Efficiency
Efficiency holds our organization together from top to bottom and is what makes us move forward. It is the very foundation for achieving goals, big or small, individual or collective. We are always looking for ways to improve our game through cost smartness and efficient teamwork. We depend on each other for learning, support and feedback, whether we work in the store, at the office, in customer care or in distribution. Helping each other in being the best that we can be, makes us capable of adapting in times of change and gives us a key competitive advantage.