Our thinking

Cash in on your cast-offs

10 May, 2024

Remember that old set of weights in your garage, the run-down tent, or that dusty tennis racket lying around? Decathlon’s expanded buy-back program is here to take those off your hands!

Whatever old sports equipment you have at home in storage, you are not alone. Decathlon’s research unveiled that nearly a third of British households stash away unused sports equipment, gathering dust and serving no purpose. But their new and improved buy-back system is here to change that. The scheme that previously only covered own-brand bicycles now includes various sports categories such as fitness equipment, racket sports, water sports items like kayaks and paddleboards, and camping gear.

Accessible both in-store and online, this initiative encourages customers to bring neglected equipment to the nearest Decathlon outlet, trading it in for store credit. And your old items won’t meet their end there. Instead, Decathlon will refurbish and resell them at a lower cost as part of their second-life programme. Win-win for both you and them, right? In this era of the circular economy, there’s no need to own everything we use, which is why Decathlon provides a rental service for their sports equipment too.

So if hockey is no longer your thing, but you’re keen to try roller blading, dig out your hockey stick and get it over to Decathlon to trade it in it for a refurbished pair of roller skates, and play your part in a more circular future.

By Tashinga Gwendere