UK households hoarding millions of unused electronics, Virgin Media O2 study finds
Virgin Media O2 has launched a new initiative to tackle e-waste after its own research found that UK households are hoarding roughly 15 million unused mobile phones.
The Time After Time fund is aiming to raise awareness of e-waste and compel organisations to apply for grants of up to £75,000 to help consumers either repair or recycle old devices.
It comes after a study by Virgin Media O2 showed that 39% of UK households have outdated and broken tech items stored away in drawers, cupboards and lofts.
The hoarding problem is being exacerbated by a lack of knowledge about removing personal data from devices and fears about contributing to a growing mass of landfill.
53% of the 2,000 adults polled for the study said that they still have photos, emails and work documents on old devices.
Around a third are worried that this data might be shared or stolen if they give devices away.
46% said that they would try to recycle more tech if the process was easier and more accessible.
UK consumers are aware that e-waste is a major problem as 51% say that not enough is being done to tackle it and one in five have feelings of guilt about hoarding.
The scale of the issue is significant as Virgin Media O2 found that there are a staggering 14.7 million unused mobile phones in people’s homes.
There are also around 7 million DVD players, 6 million TVs, 4.6 million headphones, 4.5 million laptops and 3.5 million iPods cluttering up space.
Virgin Media O2’s Nicola Green urged consumers to play a part in tackling the problem by spreading the word about its new funding.
She concluded: “If you know a charity, social enterprise, local authority or community organisation running e-waste initiatives then do point them in our direction to apply for this financial support.”