Are refurbished marketplaces delisting Windows 10 devices despite circularity concerns?

Millions of usable computers are facing early retirement this summer—not due to damage, but because refurbished marketplaces like refurbed, Back Market, and Amazon Renewed are delisting Windows 10 devices with older Intel CPUs (prior to 8^th-gen Intel CPU). This move aligns with Microsoft’s end-of-support roadmap – as these devices can’t upgrade to Windows 11 – but contradicts the sustainable message many of these platforms claim to champion.

Industry voices urge reconsideration

Kristián Keleman, Chief Sales Officer at Slovakia-based Furbify, published an open letter urging platforms to reverse course. He argues that the decision is more about convenience than true circularity. According to him, marketplaces could instead provide frameworks for responsible reuse, including guidance for paid Extended Security Updates (ESU) adoption and so a safe continued Windows 10 usage.

Microsoft sets the timeline

Microsoft will end support for Windows 10 on 14 October 2025. After this date, no security updates or patches will be provided unless users subscribe to a ESU program. While Windows 11 is available as a free upgrade for some devices, strict hardware requirements, such as the need for an 8th-gen Intel CPU, TPM 2.0, and Secure Boot, leave many older devices without an upgrade path.

Usable, but not sellable

Many of the devices being delisted are still performant and widely used in schools, businesses, and homes. They could remain in circulation with proper education and software security measures. However, marketplaces are opting to remove them from listings altogether, sending thousands of units closer to landfill rather than a second life.

EUREFAS urged to act

Kristián Keleman also called on EUREFAS, the European Refurbishment Association, to advocate for open, inclusive resale policies. He believes silence from such institutions would signal alignment with planned obsolescence, rather than sustainability. With delisting already underway, the refurbished tech industry faces a defining moment. Will it continue on a path shaped by software giants, or reclaim leadership in reuse and sustainability?