Asda is to roll out musicMagpie kiosks across 300 stores next year, which enable customers to recycle unwanted phones for instant cash.

musicMagpie is a re-commerce business operating in the UK and the US, which specialises in refurbished consumer technology. The company claimed that the new partnership will create a “circular ecosystem” that will prevent thousands of tonnes of consumer tech and media products ending up as waste.

Asda customers will have the opportunity to buy and sell pre-owned tech via the Asda website and mobile app.

The move extends musicMagpie’s pre-existing contract with Asda, which has seen its pre-owned DVDs and CDs available to buy in the supermarket’s stores since August last year.

The plans follow a successful trial with 15 SMARTDrop kiosks across the Asda estate since November 2020.

So far, approximately 3,000 smartphones have been traded in through musicMagpie’s kiosks, paying out over £800,000 instantly to customers.

According to musicMagpie, the completion of the Asda roll-out will mean that 90 per cent of the population in the UK will live within a 15-minute drive of a SMARTDrop kiosk.

“Our exclusive partnership with musicMagpie has been developed with the long-term view in mind and it is fantastic to see this vision achieved through a wider roll out in Asda stores,” said Matt Harrison, senior director of partnerships at Asda. “From the start, the team at musicMagpie have shared our philosophy of testing and learning through trials in our stores, with the ability to quickly understand what works and scale.”

Harrison added: “The launch of 295 SMARTDrop kiosks and an affiliate site where customers can buy and sell technology via Asda.com will prevent e-waste going to landfill, as well as save shoppers time and money. As we continue to deliver on our partnership strategy and develop our partner ‘ecosystem’, we hope to create more opportunities to offer customers access to the products and services they want in more convenient locations.”

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