Blue Angel Refurbished: 0 of 3 Retailers Certified
3 min read
In late July 2026, word went round that almost nobody linked to used phones. Germany's Blue Angel for printers (DE-UZ 219) will cover used devices. The Umweltzeichen jury decided it in June 2026, per wll.news on 30.07.2026. Printers, then. Not phones or laptops yet.
What the eco-label checks on used electronics
Phones, smartphones and tablets fall under DE-UZ 106, listing exactly one device right now: the Fairphone 5 5G, sold new (as of 03.09.2026). For computers and laptops (DE-UZ 78), the official page shows no certified notebook, just a fair-trade computer mouse.
Then there's DE-UZ 209, the one people confuse most. The certification for take-back systems doesn't check a device. It checks a company's collection and reuse programme. Two organisations hold it jointly. Neither is a refurbished retailer.
Which refurbished retailer carries it? None of them
Refurbed's sustainability page cites a 2024 B Corp certification and a GutCert-verified ISO 14040/44 environmental-impact model. Back Market's About Us page also names B Corp, plus roughly 2 million tonnes of self-reported CO2 savings. For rebuy, I found no page showing the Blue Angel on 03.09.2026. Instead, it cites a Stiftung Warentest top rating (since 02/2023).
Blue Angel? Not one of the three.
What that means when you buy
Waiting for a government eco-label before you buy a refurbished phone? Could take a while. More useful is what's actually documented. Warranty length, for one. Or whether an environmental-impact figure was checked externally rather than self-reported. (How much CO2 a refurbished device really saves, we've covered elsewhere on the blog.)
Will the Blue Angel ever reach used devices? I honestly don't know. A missing label doesn't mean a device is worse. It just means nobody's checked it against those criteria.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a Blue Angel label for refurbished phones?
No. The Blue Angel for mobile phones (DE-UZ 106) covers new devices, currently just one: the Fairphone 5 5G (as of 03.09.2026). No separate criteria set exists for refurbished phones.
What does the Blue Angel mean on a used phone?
For the individual device, nothing, since no criteria set exists. People confuse it with DE-UZ 209 for take-back systems: a collection programme, not a handset. It's held by Deutsche Telekom Technik GmbH and Interzero Product Cycle GmbH (as of 03.09.2026).
Do Refurbed, Back Market or rebuy have the Blue Angel?
Nothing on the three retailers' pages points to it as of 03.09.2026. Refurbed and Back Market both cite B Corp, rebuy a Stiftung Warentest top rating.
Is any of this changing?
Partly. The Umweltzeichen jury decided in June 2026 to extend the Blue Angel for printers (DE-UZ 219) to used devices, reported on 30.07.2026. That doesn't apply to phones, tablets or laptops so far.
