Meet Our Co-Founders: Fabien & Philip

interview Jul 29th 2022

Reebelo founders, Fabien and Phillip, were brought together by a passion for sustainability and a drive to reduce landfill.

The two friends founded their eco-conscious tech marketplace as a way to combat the increasing amount of unnecessary e-waste building up in the world, by getting people to reconsider how they consume technology. To celebrate Plastic Free July, we sat down with them to find out what Reebelo and sustainability means to them.

Why was Reebelo created? 

Philip: In 2019 alone, the world generated 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste, and this problem is only going to worsen with time. We believe that the resale of refurbished tech devices will help lessen this very real problem. We wanted to create a startup that combined social and entrepreneurial impact. That is why Reebelo was born, with the vision to create a trusted platform for sustainable consumption.  

Tell us a bit about Reebelo and how it was founded.  

Fabien: Reebelo is a platform that sells refurbished devices at a lower cost, whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or earphones. Our goal is to make it easier for anyone to obtain electronic goods, all while building a circular economy that helps solve the problem of e-waste.

What are the main advantages of buying refurbished technology?  

Philip: Buying refurbished is the smart choice for every customer, as you get the same device for a better price, when compared to purchasing brand new. On top of that, you can be sure that you are doing your part for our planet by stopping a device from ending up in landfill. It also decreases the demand for new phone production, which leads to a reduction in e-waste, greenhouse gasses, water wastage and our carbon footprint to name a few benefits.

We want to help the world switch from a wasteful and linear way of tech consumption to a more sustainable method, via refurbishment.

How did you and your business partner Phillip meet?  

Fabien: Philip and I met in Singapore during our incubator program with Antler. We were both determined to build a high growth startup, while doing something bigger than ourselves that would have a significant and positive impact. With Reebelo, we are able to achieve just that while working in an industry we both know very well!

What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

Philip: That's a very tricky question, as there is so much great advice we have received since starting Reebelo. Ultimately, I think that delivering outstanding service to our customers has really paid off. We were told that continued customer support would be imperative to our success, and as such we set out to create a recognised and trusted platform. Working closely together with our customers to improve Reebelo has always been our number 1 target and it has helped us to improve as a company on a daily basis.

What does #plasticfreejuly mean to you?

  Fabien: Plastic Free July means reducing single-use plastic at an individual and company level. We are really proud that this month our team members are taking on challenges to reduce single-use plastic in their homes.

We as a company have also partnered with Zero Co for their Work Waste Challenge.  

Do you have advice for anyone who wants to be more sustainable?

Philip:   Living more sustainably is not as difficult or expensive as some people may believe.   

Small tasks such as food composting, using a keep cup or saying goodbye to plastic straws can make a big difference.   

Another great way to be more sustainable is to make an impact with your money. Shop with and support businesses that are sustainable. At Reebelo, we are adding more and more sustainable businesses to our marketplace so that customers can easily make an informed, economical and importantly a sustainable choice.

Click here to follow us on social and see what our team is up to for #plasticfreejuly including eco tips and MORE!

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