Recosi will play an important role in applying the CE-RISE Information System on refurbished computer equipment and has close ties with project partner GreenIT. Untangling RECOSI’s tasks in the project, we asked Katja Zajko, Director of Recosi to tell us more about their roles.
Meet the Team working on CE-RISE
I am pleased to introduce myself; my name is Katja Zajko, Director of Recosi operating in ICT (Information and Communications Technology).
For the last 10 years I have been involved in developing and setting up socially responsible businesses, working in the area of ICT reuse, among others in Ireland and the US. I focus on sustainable and circular business model development, and I believe in the “triple-bottom line” model for running a business: profit, people and the planet. Being passionate about creating green jobs and giving back to society and the environment, I brought Recosi to life in 2017 with the same mindset. I wanted to create a social enterprise operating on a high-level while fulfilling these dreams.
In 2019 I completed a PhD in the area of social entrepreneurship and reuse organisations and in my thesis, I was researching case study Recosi, as a startup company in social economy sector. I also completed the E-Waste Academy organised by United Nations University and University of Limerick. In 2018 I published a case study in Sustainability Journal, with title “Social Franchising Model as a Scaling Strategy for ICT Reuse: A Case Study of an International Franchise”. My role in the project is to coordinate the project activities within the company, as Recosi leads a case study on a case of ICT and support different work packages with input, where Recosi is involved.
My name is Ksenija Germ, and I work at RECOSI as Head of Sales and Marketing. I have more than 20 years of experience working in top sales positions. I joined Recosi in early 2017 and my role is to look after sales and to promote refurbished products. My expertise is in various domains, including team management, development of marketing strategies, customer relationship management, and monitoring and analysis of market trends. I am passionate about working with customers and helping to create a new mindset about reuse and the environment. My role in the project is to look after promotional activities, providing input for different work packages, where Recosi is involved.
Hello, I am Martin Juhart and I work at Recosi as Head of Production. I have been involved in the ICT industry for over 20 years. My role is organising the production line, looking after the quality process, and making sure that all products are quality tested and checked for the customer. My role in the CE-RISE project will be testing the Information System with our expertise and competences in the refurbishment of ICT.
My name is Rok Acko, and I joined Recosi in November 2020. I am a Senior Technician, in charge of testing products and dispatches. I am also responsible for harvesting spare parts and different components from non-functional products and therefore facilitating the circularity of these products. Along with Martin, I will be testing CE-RISE system as well.
More about Recosi
Recosi was founded in 2017 in Slovenska Bistrica (Slovenia) and in its short lifetime has become recognised in IT refurbishment industry as a sustainable and socially responsible company with providing affordable, high-quality refurbished IT equipment. Our ambitious goals for reducing our environmental impact and increasing our positive social contributions distinguish us from other conventional models. We began our journey with a mission to create real job opportunities in the social economy by employing and training individuals who face challenges in finding employment. On the other hand, through the refurbishment and repair of used IT equipment, we extend the lifecycle of these devices, reduce electronic waste, and consequently conserve precious rare elements and natural resources required for the production of new equipment.
With our continuous commitment to quality assurance and compliance with environmental regulations and ethical standards we adopted state of the art refurbishment process and since 2022, the company is the proud owner of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certificates.
RECOSI’s role in the project
Recosi will play a key role in testing the information system and developing a digital passport for refurbished computer equipment (laptops, computers, monitors). This pilot case (including refurbished laptops, desktops, and monitors) will also contribute to the development of a conceptual framework and a set of “RE Criteria” for the reuse of computer equipment.