Å·ÃÀAV

Naturally occurring elements are critical to our daily lives, but some of them have supply chain risks, and the processes needed to mine and refine them come at considerable environmental cost. 

These elements are used in all of our personal tech, such as phones, tablets, TVs and so on. Not only that but these elements are used in everything from fire-sprinkler systems and antibacterial clothing to solar panels and surgical implants.

And they could be needed for other technologies in the future that we haven’t discovered yet – for health, green energy, treating pollution and more.

As consumers we are accumulating more and more technology

 

Most of us are not recycling this technology at the end of its life.

 

At the Å·ÃÀAV we commissioned research to demonstrate the scale of the problem.

And the problem could be set to grow, with young people owning more items of technology than anyone else, with 52% of 16–24 year olds having 10 or more gadgets in their home.

By comparison, 39% of 35–44 year olds have 10 or more devices, as do 30% of 55–75 year olds.

When asked why they don’t recycle old devices, more than one in three (37%), of those with unused devices at home said data and security fears made them uneasy, while a quarter said they don’t recycle them because they prefer to sell them. Almost a third (29%) also said they didn’t know where to go to recycle old tech.

What is the solution?

This is a global issue, and solving it will require everyone to take responsibility, including government, manufactures and retailers.

• Retailers will need to introduce take-back schemes – where people can be assured that their data will be securely wiped, and their devices will be efficiently recycled
• Manufacturers will need to build repairability and recyclability into designs from the beginning, and
• Government will need to provide consistent guidelines and infrastructre to facilitate a circular economy.

What can you do to help?

Change needs to take place on a global scale, but there are simple steps we can all do to make a difference.

Help us raise awareness of this pressing issue. Talk to your friends and family, and share the facts using our digital pack.

You can also help by following the 3Rs of recycling:

Reduce – Hold off upgrading your phone for a year or more

Reuse – Pass your old phone to a relative, sell it or donate to a charity. Material Focus has some great information on .

Recycle – If you are in the UK, visit  or  to look up recycling options in your area. Otherwise, .

Does the Å·ÃÀAV recycle its old technology?

Yes. We sort and recycle all our waste, including electronic waste. We have chosen to use a waste management contractor that aims to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill by taking all electrical items to an Approved Authorised Treatment Facility (AATF). These facilities sort electrical waste to identify items that can reused or recycled.

At the Å·ÃÀAV we recently held a staff tech amnesty, where we asked our colleagues to bring in their old personal devices for recycling. It was sobering to see just how much was being hoarded by the 500 or so people in our Cambridge office alone. Imagine this scaled up across offices around the world.