Did you get some new tech during the Prime Big Deal days? New toy joy is a wonderful thing, but once you've put the Prime packaging in the recycling bin it's time to think about the tech you might have just replaced – or any other tech you've long since stopped using or lost interest in.
It's International E-waste day on Saturday, which is designed to raise awareness of a significant problem: many of us worry about our environmental footprint, but not everybody does anything about it when it comes to electronics.
According to the UN, we'll produce so much e-waste this year that it'll be the equivalent of 8kg for every single person on Earth: in total, that waste will weigh more than the Great Wall of China. And only 17.4% of that waste will be recycled.
Here in the UK, a survey on behalf of refurbished technology marketplace Back Market – who of course have a vested interest in this, but that doesn't negate the study – found that fewer than half of Britons recycle our old technology: just 47% of us. And only 48% of us attempt to extend the lifespan of our devices.
What is international e-waste day?
International e-waste day is designed to try and persuade more of us to recycle our stuff – and not to do what I do, which is to keep an every more frightening cupboard of confusing cables and kaput keyboards until it gets too much and I take it to the tip.
The theme this year is that if it has a plug, a battery or a cable, you can recycle it – and that means more than just mobile phones and computers. It also includes all your smart home tech, e-bikes and e-scooters, e-cigarettes and smoke detectors, wearable devices and anything else electronic. In total, the typical EU and UK home has 73 such devices in it - but a study for the WEEE Forum found that 13 of them are being hoarded, 9 just aren't used and 4 are broken. In particular devices such as headphones and remote controls are not considered as electronic items and just dumped rather than recycled.
You can find out more about international e-waste day at the WEEE Forum; to find out where to recycle electronics safely and responsibly, check your local council's website.
