ATRenew Named 2025 Earthshot Prize Finalist

Shanghai – ATRenew Inc. (NYSE: RERE), a dominant force in China’s pre-owned consumer electronics market, has been recognized as a finalist for the prestigious Earthshot Prize, specifically in the “Building a Waste Free World” category. This accolade positions ATRenew alongside other global innovators striving to combat climate change and build a more sustainable future. The Earthshot Prize, founded by Prince William in 2020, identifies and scales impactful environmental solutions.

ATRenew’s nomination comes at a critical juncture. The global e-waste stream is projected to reach a staggering 82 million tonnes by 2030, posing significant environmental and resource management challenges. ATRenew’s core business model directly addresses this issue by facilitating the reuse and recycling of consumer electronics.

The company’s success hinges on its AI-powered “Matrix” system. Deployed across eight regional operation centers throughout China, Matrix streamlines the entire reverse logistics process. Used smartphones and other devices are collected from consumers through a network of over 2,000 recycling stores. These items are then transported to the operation centers where Matrix guides standardized quality inspections, grading, and pricing. The system’s data-driven approach ensures fair market value for sellers and accurate assessments for potential buyers. Finally, the devices are warehoused and resold through ATRenew’s online platforms, extending their useful lifespan and diverting them from landfills.

This end-to-end approach to circular economy principles has positioned ATRenew as a major player in the sustainable electronics landscape. Beyond its core recycling operations, the company’s data insights into device lifecycles and consumer preferences are valuable assets. These insights can be leveraged to influence manufacturers to design more durable and repairable products, further reducing e-waste at its source. ATRenew’s model provides a framework for decoupling economic growth from resource depletion in the consumer electronics sector.

ATRenew’s influence extends beyond China, as the company strategically expands into Southeast Asia and the Middle East, while also offering self-service recycling technologies to partners in Japan and Sweden. This geographic diversification suggests a broader ambition to establish a global presence in the pre-owned electronics market.

Prince William, Founder and President of The Earthshot Prize, stated: “As we reach the halfway point of the Earthshot decade, I am truly inspired by this year’s Finalists, which embody the urgent optimism sitting right at the heart of our mission. In just five years, The Earthshot Prize has shown that the answers to our planet’s greatest challenges not only already exist, but that they are firmly within our grasp.”

Xuefeng Chen, CEO and Founder of ATRenew, commented that being a Finalist of The Earthshot Prize marks the culmination of 15 years of work to advance a zero-carbon future and reduce e-waste. He emphasized the potential for ATRenew’s circular economy model to be applied globally.

The Earthshot Prize finalists were selected from nearly 2,500 nominees across 72 countries. The award’s selection partners and Expert Advisory Panel, comprising over 100 specialists in diverse fields, conducted rigorous assessments to determine the 15 finalists.

About ATRenew Inc.

ATRenew Inc., headquartered in Shanghai, operates a leading technology-driven pre-owned consumer electronics transactions and services platform in China under the brand ATRenew. Since its inception in 2011, ATRenew has been focused on giving a second life to idle goods, addressing the environmental impact of pre-owned consumer electronics by facilitating recycling and trade-in services, and distributing the devices to prolong their lifecycle. ATRenew’s open platform integrates C2B, B2B, and B2C capabilities to empower its online and offline services. Through its end-to-end coverage of the entire value chain and its proprietary inspection, grading, and pricing technologies, ATRenew sets the standard for China’s pre-owned consumer electronics industry. ATRenew is a participant in the United Nations Global Compact.