Helping companies profit from their used electronics

A circular system for selling excess and unwanted items helps ensure they don’t end up in the landfill

Spotted: The Philippines is one of the largest generators of electronic waste in Southeast Asia, creating almost four kilogrammes of e-waste per capita in 2019. Manilla-based Humble Sustainability wants to make sure the country is making the most of its used electronics, by facilitating the resale of electronic equipment and other goods.

Humble Sustainability started as a circular trading solution for children’s clothing before it expanded into electronic items, and the company now specialises in old IT equipment and excess or old electronics stock. Once the items are received from a seller and inspected, they are either listed for sale online or sold through the startup’s B2B network. Good-quality items are sold right away through the company’s online shopfront, Thrift by Humble. 

Everything else is brought into circularity through Humble’s broader network of partners and wholesale buyers, helping sellers to clear space in their offices or warehouses and quickly maximise revenue from old equipment, returns, and excess items. Although the company focuses on electronics, it can accept offers for other kinds of items like sports equipment, furniture, and clothes. Humble also has connections with reliable upcyclers and recyclers for items that can’t be sold so that they’re still kept out of landfill.

Items can be tracked on Humble’s live B2B dashboard so clients can monitor their revenue, inventory, and environmental impact in real time. Humble also produces comprehensive data-driven reports and analytics and this climate data can be used to help suppliers meet their ESG and CSR commitments.

Humble recently announced it had secured undisclosed funding from Asia-focused venture capital firm Gobi Partners, following a $750,000 oversubscribed seed round in 2022. The company plans to use the funding to expand its network of partners and buyers and to develop long-term initiatives like a carbon footprint tracker.

Written By: Lisa Magloff