How refurbished tech can cure the UK’s e-waste epidemic

The UK is piling up the electronic junk – it’s the second biggest culprit worldwide for e-waste, an escalating crisis that demands urgent attention. Recent numbers show that if we recycled all of our old gadgets properly, the country could recover precious metals worth nearly £1 billion.

Britons are seemingly master hoarders, too, with UK households currently holding on to an astonishing 880 million unused electrical items. An additional 103,000 tonnes of electronic waste are carelessly discarded annually, resulting in an economic loss of £488 million in valuable raw materials.

Responsible recycling of these materials would be a game-changer for the environment. We could cut down 7.89 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, roughly equal to taking 3.84 million cars off the road. Additionally, the UK faces a growing challenge with the rise in illegal waste exports, making the crisis that much more of a mess.

The complex e-waste puzzle

Electronic waste isn’t trash; it’s a hidden treasure trove. But tackling it is a tricky business. Although recycling cuts emissions and recovers valuable materials, extracting these is costly.

The urgency of refining our recycling methods can’t be overstated. We’re piling up e-waste at an alarming pace and failing to manage it leads to harmful substances leaking into the environment, posing health risks to wildlife and human health.

Disturbingly, the impact starts before electronics even hit the scrap heap. Take smartphones, for example: Making a new one generates on average 64kg of CO2, requires 244kg of raw materials, and guzzles 76,000 litres of water – ending up as 200 grams of e-waste after its life cycle.

Embracing circular economy solutions

The circular economy is about making everything last longer for business, society, and the planet by shifting away from the linear “take-make-dispose” model. Attempting to retain as much value as possible from products, parts, and resources, it focuses on three key actions: reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Reducing involves curbing resource and energy use to minimise waste. Reusing means creatively extending product life instead of dumping it into the waste stream. Recycling turns waste into new products, diminishing the demand for fresh raw materials.

Refurbishing is a vital process in the circular economy – it repairs and refreshes used products, making them as good as new. This practice extends product life cycles and the environmental damage from manufacturing replacements from scratch. It saves resources like metals and plastics, which would otherwise require harmful extraction and processing. On the business side, refurbishing creates skilled, local jobs and builds a resilient economy.

Big savings, small footprint

Trading in old devices and purchasing refurbished ones instead can save a ton of money – up to 70% on smartphones and 50% on laptops. It’s not only light on budgets, but also reduces the environmental footprint. Opting for refurbished devices can avoid 64kg of CO2 emissions, save 244kg of raw materials, conserve 76,000 litres of water, and reduce e-waste by 200g per device.

A recent Alchemy survey found that 1 in 3 UK businesses have left valuable devices sitting in storage or have disposed of them entirely. It’s a waste on multiple levels. Companies are forfeiting substantial financial and environmental benefits and shunning a golden opportunity to engage in more sustainable practices.

Crafting a smart trade-in strategy

Businesses should regularly evaluate their tech inventory and find reliable trade-in partners to maximise returns from their tech assets. The smart play is to buy refurbished devices at about 18 months old and trade in old devices every three to four years.

Researching and comparing various trade-in programmes from manufacturers, authorised resellers, and trade-in specialists is essential to secure the best deals. Determine the value of your tech stack before renewal to understand potential savings and access newer technology for less.

The key is trading in devices while they still have decent value left, while keeping an eye on market trends and release cycles will help nail the best timing for trade-ins. Incorporating trade-in details in Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for new technology can push suppliers to offer better financial terms, thereby increasing overall savings.

Rethinking refurbished

Business leaders are often hesitant to buy refurbished devices. They worry the devices won’t last as long, they’ll be less reliable, and that they're outdated compared to new models. But these perceptions don't hold up under scrutiny. Refurbished tech undergoes stringent testing – often more rigorous than new products – and typically batteries have at least 80% capacity. 

Many refurbished devices still feature the latest technology, typically only a generation or two behind the newest releases. As for lifespan, a refurbished iPhone is built to last as long as a new one; buying a year-old refurbished model can still provide years of service, mirroring the projected lifespan of a new device. 

Refurbished tech is a crucial part of the circular economy, but we need more companies to adopt circular business practices to make it the best it can be. It’s easier than it has ever been, and is better for the planet, and your pocket.