Adam Whitehouse, says it will be virtually impossible for companies to meet the current Government’s targets of becoming net zero by 2050 if steps aren’t taken to encourage business owners to recycle and repair, rather than just replace.
With the mountain of electrical waste* predicted to grow to 82 million tonnes a year by 2030, Adam is calling for whoever is in power after the General Election to:
- Scrap or reduce VAT on technology repairs.
- Introduce a UK repair voucher scheme to promote sustainable consumption like those seen in other areas of Europe, incentivising people to get their broken electronic devices repaired rather than discarding them and replacing with new.
- Implement targets so that when businesses acquire tech, at least ten percent of purchases per year must be refurbished or repaired devices.
*E-waste, which describes discarded electrical or electronic devices, is the fastest-growing waste stream worldwide.
According to the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership, 53.6 million metric tonnes of e-waste were generated in 2019, with only a portion being recycled properly. The Global E-waste Monitor 2024 states that a record 62 million metric tonnes of e-waste were generated globally in 2022, enough to fill 1.55 million 40-tonne trucks, forming a bumper-to-bumper line encircling the equator, and only 22.3% of this e-waste was formally collected and recycled.
This gap between e-waste generation and recycling is expected to widen, with projections indicating that by 2030, e-waste could reach 82 million metric tonnes, while the documented recycling rate could drop to 20%.
Adam explained: “Two years ago, £48 billion worth of recoverable natural resources were lost due to inadequate recycling efforts. Proper management of e-waste could not only mitigate environmental hazards but also reclaim valuable materials such as copper, gold, and iron, significantly benefiting the global economy.”
Electronic items like mobiles, laptops, and tablets that could be fixed too often get thrown away, contributing to pollution and increasing the global demand for components, including rare earth elements, which when mined can damage local environments.
Now, Adam wants to see incentivising measures introduced to actively encourage consumers and businesses to repair tech or buy refurbished as an alternative to always replacing with new. Austria, for example, introduced their support programme ‘Repair Bonus,’ which provides vouchers that cover 50% of the costs for repairing home electrical and electronic equipment up to a value of €200. The aim is to give broken electronic devices a ‘second chance,’ increasing the number of refurbished and repaired electrical and electronic equipment.
Adam said: “Back in 2022, the International Waste and Electrical Equipment Forum estimated that 5.3 billion mobile phones would drop out of use – that figure will have only increased. Today, the world’s largest device manufacturers, including Samsung and Apple, provide operating systems and security updates for up to seven years – so there is no need for these future mobile devices to be stashed in drawers or thrown away. They can be repaired and repurposed, which is far more sustainable.
“And yes, we are a business that specialises in extending the life of digital devices, but this is much bigger than the part we can play – the climate crisis is real, and we must collectively take action. Come Friday, whoever is in power needs to encourage people to get devices repaired – they need to make it easier by introducing sustainable incentives such as removing VAT from refurbished tech or adopting proven schemes like those seen in Europe to incentivise repairs.
“People are also more aware of e-waste and the carbon generated during the manufacture of smartphones, tablets, or laptops. Buying a refurbished device, repairing it, or sending it to be recycled when it finally is beyond repair is vital in today’s drive to respect the planet and adopt a more sustainable approach in business. It’s time to give e-waste the attention it needs when we’re looking at future policies, and whoever wins at the General Election needs to make a stand,” he added.