From earbuds and smart watches to electric toothbrushes and phone chargers, our everyday technology is becoming cheaper to buy and easier to replace.
We all like shiny new things. But there’s a developing trend – buying things cheaply and changing them when a new trend appears- it’s called “Fast Tech”.
According to Materials Focus 2023, every year, the average UK adult buys nine Fast Tech items and throws away eight. This means that millions of electrical items are binned every week. And often they are still in working condition. The low cost and the small size can make them feel less valuable but, despite their small size, their environmental impact is huge. And it gets worse; a lot of this stuff could be recycled.
When these things are thrown away instead of recycled, valuable resources are lost forever. To make new stuff, more raw materials need to be mined from the ground. Every one of these items contains precious metals such as gold, platinum or copper – it may be in small amounts, but it all adds up. The more we recycle the less new materials we need to mine, process and transport raw material.
Lots of our electrical gadgets contain batteries, including rechargeable batteries hidden inside. When they get crushed in bin lorries or at recycling facilities, these batteries can cause fires which put workers at risk.
We’ve all been tempted to buy stuff we don’t really need, whether it is a pair of light up trainers or pocket-sized mini fan, ‘Fast Tech’ is not made to last so make sure you recycle it when it’s ready for the bin to keep those precious materials in circulation for as long as possible.
FastTech’ is now the UK’s fastest growing e-waste stream, with 471 million items binned in the past year (90% of items bought are quickly binned). ‘
‘the valuable materials contained inside these items – gold, aluminium, and lithium – lost forever when thrown away.’ – Materials Focus
The good news is that recycling unwanted electrical stuff is easy. Whether it’s a broken pair of headphones, an old phone charger or a worn-out electric toy, every item counts. Anything with a plug, battery or cable can be recycled. You can take them back to a large retailer or drop them off at a recycling centre. Use this handy locator to find your nearest recycling point.
For more tips on how to create less electrical waste less through the year follow us on Facebook and Instagram @Recycle4GM, TikTok recycleforgm.
