With the new IQOS ILUMA generation, Philip Morris International (PMI) introduced a device that lasts longer through time compared to previous generation devices. However, increased durability means adult consumers use it for longer, with the subsequent wear and tear. This could offset the functional longevity gains and corresponding environmental benefits by causing consumers to dispose of products that, scratches aside, are in perfectly good condition. This is why, from October 2023 to early 2025, PMI’s affiliate, Philip Morris Switzerland piloted a service to restore adult consumer devices by replacing certain cosmetic elements.
Today, the traditional take-make-waste consumption model is posing global challenges and regulators are increasingly driving companies toward greater circularity. PMI’s vision is to play a key role in delivering a world without cigarettes by offering better smoke-free alternatives. With each new product generation, we aim to improve the consumer experience and device performance, including robustness and durability.
We also seek to minimize waste and raw material extraction and increase resource efficiency by incorporating recycled materials into our products where feasible. We integrate eco-design principles into the early stages of product design to improve, among other considerations, product recyclability and repairability. To respond to these challenges and anticipate future regulatory requirements, Philip Morris Switzerland set up a new customer service experience.
This concept contributes to our drive to reduce electronic waste while prolonging the lifespan of electronic devices and meeting the increasing requirements of a circular economy—an important topic in Switzerland and beyond. Indeed, in our legal-age consumer research on sustainability, a “product that lasts a long time” was the top focus for respondents. That’s why our Geneva IQOS Boutique offered an exclusive Device Cosmetic Repair Service to all its adult consumers.
Sustainable solutions for device longevity
The service was simple. Adult consumers would come to the boutique with their current or old IQOS ILUMA pocket charger or holder that was functioning, but damaged or scratched through use. Then, instead of buying a new device, the boutique staff offered to replace or repair the device using new external elements, such as the holder body or cap. For this purpose, the staff were trained to carry out a five-step analysis of the device:
- Assessment of basic functions
- Airways and device heating chamber check
- Visual check for cosmetic quality
- Cosmetic part replacement and firmware update
- Final test for quality
Expedient and seamless device care
This was a 10-minute free “while you wait” service, with the consumer able to watch the repair itself. It was exclusive to the Geneva boutique for the IQOS ILUMA Prime holder, IQOS ILUMA holder, IQOS ILUMA pocket charger, and IQOS ILUMA One. The damaged elements which had been replaced were then sorted and recycled following Switzerland’s waste management guidelines. Additionally, the staff also performed a complete maintenance service of the devices and a firmware check.
“From an ecological standpoint, this new initiative resonates with PMI’s sustainability goals, with improvements in areas such as durability, design for repair, and recycling,” said Jean-Claude Gereige, Director, Smoke-Free Products, Philip Morris Switzerland. “We avoid discarding a well-functioning electronic device that is simply aesthetically damaged.”
Consumer satisfaction and future plans
A survey in the Geneva boutique among adult consumers who used the service found that 97.5 percent said they would use it again, with 50 percent mentioning sustainability as their main driver.
“I wanted to change my device, even though it worked, because aesthetically it was in poor condition,” said one consumer. “The salesperson told me of the service, which I think is great because it helps prevent waste.”
Although the pilot has concluded, the service remains available on an as-needed basis to legal-age users, and the Swiss commercial team is now looking at expanding it to all Swiss stores.
Together with the commercialization of high-quality pre-owned and refurbished devices available in Switzerland (the “IQOS ILUMA Refreshed” range), the Device Cosmetic Repair Service represents part of PMI’s broader goal of increasing repairability and device longevity for its adult consumers.
