Striving for Circular Economy as a Service
Transition from Recycle to Circular
Historically, the IT equipment recycling market for PCs and smartphones has operated in a linear fashion where both corporations and individuals typically purchase new devices, use them for 3-5 years, and then sell them in the used market or discard them. The used market has developed its own distinct ecosystem, separate from the new market, without any complementary interaction between the two.
In this traditional model, recycling IT equipment involves a one-way flow from the new market to the used market, ultimately ending in disposal. This linear approach leads to an increase in waste and fails to achieve an efficient Circular Economy for IT assets. The current separation between new and used markets is insufficient.
To address this issue, we must move beyond resource recycling represented by “waste as raw materials”. Large corporations, which have relied 100% on new products, need to integrate used products and idle inventory into their IT asset strategies, promoting a coexistence of new and used products.
This is the essence of Circular Economy, and at CDR Eco Movement, we see the realization of this new economic system as our social mission – Circular Economy as a Service (CEaaS) – our registered trademark.
Specific Initiatives include:
・We propose building the best portfolio for our customers by integrating traditional procurement methods (purchase and lease) with new options such as subscriptions and rentals, incorporating new, used, and refurbished devices.
・To support such portfolio, we offer comprehensive and seamless BPO services including data erasure, product sorting, grading, cosmetic enhancement, logistics and distribution, temporary storage of customer IT assets, and insurance and warranty services.
Our company name, CDR Eco Movement (CDREM), reflects our commitment to leading this new movement toward realizing Circular Economy.
In the era of the Circular Economy, we aim to become trusted specialists in providing IT asset solutions as “Circular Economy as a Service (CEaaS)” company.
Profile of Mr. Akira Kondo, President and CEO
Mr. Kondo has extensive experience in securing and executing M&A and various equity financing deals for major domestic and international companies. During his tenure at Mitsubishi Bank, he worked at the San Francisco and San Jose branches, managing accounts for Silicon Valley companies. Subsequently, he served at branches in Singapore, London, and the headquarters. As Deputy Branch Manager of the London branch, he held roles including European Operations Manager, Director of Corporate Sales, and Secretary-General of the European Merger Committee with Tokai Bank. As Head of Corporate Sales at the headquarters, he specialized in the telecommunications, steel, and chemical industries, leveraging a strong network in these sectors.
In 2000, following Mitsubishi Bank’s acquisition of Kokusai Securities from Nomura Securities, he transitioned to the securities field and joined the newly formed entity. He played a key role in integrating over ten securities companies, culminating in the establishment of Mitsubishi UFJ Securities (now Mitsubishi Morgan Stanley Securities), where he served as Managing Executive Officer and Head of the Investment Banking Division.
As Global Head, he oversaw the entire investment banking operations of the MUFG Group. He currently serves as an advisor to Bain Capital and the European consulting firm CVA.
Mr. Kondo holds a degree in Economics from Kyoto University.
