Refurbishment is an effective strategy to extend product lifetimes in a circular economy. However, consumers believe that refurbished products are contaminated with traces of prior use, which can be indicated by the appearance (e.g., scratches) or functionality (e.g., lower battery capacity) of refurbished products. This research explores strategies to improve consumer adoption of refurbished products by reducing contamination. In a choice-based conjoint analysis, 785 participants were exposed to refurbished headphones varying in features related to contamination, warranty, and price. We tested three contamination-reducing strategies, including (1). Communication about the clean object state, (2). Eliminating signs of use (aesthetic and functional wear-and-tear) and (3). Renewing parts that touch the skin (e.g., ear-cushions). Additionally, we analysed whether different consumer groups are driven by different attributes of refurbished products. Results showed that most consumers value refurbished products that show no signs of wear-and-tear and that have parts touching the skin renewed during the refurbishment process. These attributes are even more important than the reduced price or warranty, even though these are frequently used to market refurbished products. Depending on the consumer group, other contamination-reducing strategies were of great influence. While some consumer groups highly valued that signs of prior use are eliminated through an as-new appearance, others preferred refurbished products without functional wear-and-tear. In conclusion, four design strategies to deal with contamination during multiple life cycles of refurbished products are discussed.

翻新是在循环经济中延长产品寿命的有效策略。然而，消费者认为翻新产品被先前使用的痕迹污染，这可以通过翻新产品的外观（例如，划痕）或功能（例如，较低的电池容量）来指示。这项研究探索了通过减少污染来提高消费者对翻新产品采用率的策略。在一项基于选择的联合分析中，785 名参与者接触了翻新耳机，这些耳机在与污染、保修和价格相关的功能方面各不相同。我们测试了三种减少污染的策略，包括（1）。关于清洁对象状态的通信，(2)。消除使用痕迹（美学和功能性磨损）和 (3)。更新接触皮肤的部件（例如耳垫）。此外，我们分析了不同的消费群体是否受到翻新产品的不同属性的驱动。结果表明，大多数消费者重视翻新产品，这些产品没有磨损迹象，并且在翻新过程中与皮肤接触的部分得到了更新。这些属性甚至比降价或保修更重要，即使它们经常用于销售翻新产品。根据消费者群体，其他减少污染的策略影响很大。虽然一些消费者群体高度重视通过焕然一新的外观消除先前使用的迹象，但其他消费者更喜欢没有功能性磨损的翻新产品。总之，讨论了在翻新产品的多个生命周期中处理污染的四种设计策略。