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‘Fast tech’ fueling surge in electronic waste
Nearly 9 in 10 UK shoppers own a Fast Tech device, and 78% bought one in the past year, researchers said.
- A WEEE Forum and SWNSResearch survey released for International E-Waste Day on October 14 found nearly nine in ten people own at least one "Fast Tech" device, with Britain's consumption of these cheap gadgets fueling an e-waste crisis of over half a billion small items bought annually.
- Pascal Leroy, Director General of the WEEE Forum, called "Fast Tech" the "blind spot of the e-waste world." Consumers frequently discard inexpensive products like USB chargers and LED lights after using them for six months or less.
- Almost 29 per cent of shoppers hoard unwanted gadgets at home, while 23 per cent discard them in household rubbish and 21 per cent mistakenly toss them into plastics recycling. Just 27 per cent use recycling centres.
- Discarded vapes, wireless earbuds, and battery-powered toys can ignite when thrown away incorrectly, posing severe fire risks. E-waste operators reported that 36 per cent experienced a battery-related fire at their facilities in the previous year.
- Experts warn the e-waste problem could worsen as Black Friday bargains and Christmas shopping trigger another buying frenzy. Around 16 small electrical gadgets are purchased every second in Britain, creating waves of items destined for disposal.
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21 Articles
21 Articles
Brits buy 16 cheap gadgets every second as e-waste crisis deepens
From mini fans and USB chargers to electronic toys and LED lights, cheap gadgets are piling up in homes and rubbish bins. Experts warn that Britain’s fast-growing “Fast Tech” habit is fuelling an e-waste crisis, with serious environmental and fire risks.
·London, United Kingdom
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Total News Sources21
Leaning Left3Leaning Right5Center13Last UpdatedBias Distribution62% Center
Bias Distribution
- 62% of the sources are Center
62% Center
14%
C 62%
R 24%
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