Close to half a billion small electricals were discarded in the past year, new research has gone on to reveal.
The products are known to come under the Fast Tech category which is another name given to the electrical term for fast tech items. And it’s concerning because the majority of these are highlighted to be the leading form of e-waste around the globe.
Today, the average household entails close to 30 types of electrical products that aren’t used, the study from Material Focus which included 2000 people proved.
Moreover, it’s shocking how all of this is unfolding because they entail some of the most valuable types of raw materials that can be recycled. Meanwhile, the results obtained so far showed how nearly 471 million items arising under this domain were discarded in the United Kingdom in the year 2022 only.
Common examples of products that fell in this category included disposable vapes which were calculated to be 260 million. On the other hand, there were decorative lighting pieces, including LED and solar that were found to rise in the 30 million category.
Around 26 million cables made the list as well as 10 million USB sticks and some 7 million cordless headphones. Lastly, there were 5 million mini fans as well.
Today, the average pricing is nearly 4 pounds and such items are encouraging clients to view them like they’re disposable but that’s not always the case.
All of them are made of some very pricey raw materials that serve great purposes like copper wire and even batteries made from lithium. And through means like recycling, you can easily recover them.
The problem as proved by the study lies with how people are unaware of the value such products entail and they just discard them without giving it a second thought. So in the end, we just lose some valuable materials which could be used through the process of recycling to create a new product.
The idea is to get the right message across in terms of things that have plugs and cables that can also be reused to create something better instead of wasted and causing a rise in the amount of pollution.
The picture happens to be similar around the globe and each year, we have consumers that get rid of close to nine billion tons of goods. These could be clothing, vapes, devices, and toys among others. And it’s amazing how people aren’t even recognizing this as something that’s a waste and hence aren’t even aware of what they can do with it.
The researchers added how their goal is linked to creating greater awareness on the subject. It’s also great to see how e-waste has been on the decline since the year 2017 because so many more tech products are lighter in weight than before and also due to the fact that recycling weights continue to rise, more than before.
Around 60% of individuals prefer to be aware of recycling things such as electrical. And that’s a step forward in the right direction. However, the fact that people have goods that remain unused like cell phones, cables, remote controls, and whatnot that are catching dust. Hence, that matter still needs to be resolved and a solution must be brought about before it’s too late.
A great solution might be asking retailers that sell electrical products, be it online or in the store, to come forward and assist clients in of disposing old goods, no matter where they bought them from.
Material Focus says the whole purpose of this study was to stick to the ideal goal of promoting a healthy environment that’s backed by sustainability. Moreover, such means receiving funding thanks to fees generated by producers of such electricals when they fail in terms of meeting the targets of recycling that the government has set out for them.
Hence, it’s better later than never to really open eyes to the problem and start by playing a role in promoting the recycling of electrical. Who knows, each person taking part in the initiative could really cause e-waste rates to fall dramatically and there’s nothing better.
Read next: New Survey Proves Teens Watch More Videos On YouTube Than Netflix
The products are known to come under the Fast Tech category which is another name given to the electrical term for fast tech items. And it’s concerning because the majority of these are highlighted to be the leading form of e-waste around the globe.
Today, the average household entails close to 30 types of electrical products that aren’t used, the study from Material Focus which included 2000 people proved.
Moreover, it’s shocking how all of this is unfolding because they entail some of the most valuable types of raw materials that can be recycled. Meanwhile, the results obtained so far showed how nearly 471 million items arising under this domain were discarded in the United Kingdom in the year 2022 only.
Common examples of products that fell in this category included disposable vapes which were calculated to be 260 million. On the other hand, there were decorative lighting pieces, including LED and solar that were found to rise in the 30 million category.
Around 26 million cables made the list as well as 10 million USB sticks and some 7 million cordless headphones. Lastly, there were 5 million mini fans as well.
Today, the average pricing is nearly 4 pounds and such items are encouraging clients to view them like they’re disposable but that’s not always the case.
All of them are made of some very pricey raw materials that serve great purposes like copper wire and even batteries made from lithium. And through means like recycling, you can easily recover them.
The problem as proved by the study lies with how people are unaware of the value such products entail and they just discard them without giving it a second thought. So in the end, we just lose some valuable materials which could be used through the process of recycling to create a new product.
The idea is to get the right message across in terms of things that have plugs and cables that can also be reused to create something better instead of wasted and causing a rise in the amount of pollution.
The picture happens to be similar around the globe and each year, we have consumers that get rid of close to nine billion tons of goods. These could be clothing, vapes, devices, and toys among others. And it’s amazing how people aren’t even recognizing this as something that’s a waste and hence aren’t even aware of what they can do with it.
The researchers added how their goal is linked to creating greater awareness on the subject. It’s also great to see how e-waste has been on the decline since the year 2017 because so many more tech products are lighter in weight than before and also due to the fact that recycling weights continue to rise, more than before.
Around 60% of individuals prefer to be aware of recycling things such as electrical. And that’s a step forward in the right direction. However, the fact that people have goods that remain unused like cell phones, cables, remote controls, and whatnot that are catching dust. Hence, that matter still needs to be resolved and a solution must be brought about before it’s too late.
A great solution might be asking retailers that sell electrical products, be it online or in the store, to come forward and assist clients in of disposing old goods, no matter where they bought them from.
Material Focus says the whole purpose of this study was to stick to the ideal goal of promoting a healthy environment that’s backed by sustainability. Moreover, such means receiving funding thanks to fees generated by producers of such electricals when they fail in terms of meeting the targets of recycling that the government has set out for them.
Hence, it’s better later than never to really open eyes to the problem and start by playing a role in promoting the recycling of electrical. Who knows, each person taking part in the initiative could really cause e-waste rates to fall dramatically and there’s nothing better.
Read next: New Survey Proves Teens Watch More Videos On YouTube Than Netflix
