Despite this growing environmental issue, our research at musicMagpie* has found that an alarming four in five (79%) Brits do not know what e-waste is. When given the definition of e-waste, nearly a third (31%) didn’t believe it damaged the environment or were unsure, while 45% weren’t aware it impacted climate change.
Over half of Brits (54%) also admit to being surprised by the amount of e-waste the UK produces per year, with it being more than they expected.
Unless urgent action is taken, the issue of e-waste could worsen, as our research revealed that Brits are already sitting on £16.5 Billion worth of technology they no longer use, holding on average 11 unused devices per household**.
And almost half of Brits (47%) currently do not recycle, resell, or donate their old tech to charity, with most opting to hold onto it instead where it ends up at the back of drawers collecting dust. Staggeringly, almost five million adults*** even openly admit to throwing old tech in the bin at home.