BRITS have 55 MILLION unused cell phones mendacity round, with London, Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds and Manchester dwelling to greater than anyplace else within the nation.
Researchers polled 2,300 adults from 20 cities to learn how many aged cell gadgets are in every dwelling – and the capital got here out high with greater than two per family.
A great deal of Brits have spare iPhones mendacity roundCredit score: Unsplash
In London alone, primarily based on the variety of households within the metropolis, this implies there are round 6.8 million discarded gadgets sitting idle.
Birmingham has the second highest variety of discarded gadgets per dwelling, adopted by Cambridge, Leeds and Manchester.
Collectively, these cities are dwelling to an extra 3.3 million unused mobiles.
The analysis was commissioned by community-run cell community, giffgaff, which is championing a ‘round financial system’ for cell phones.
Examine your drawers – you may need some useful tech hidden awayCredit score: Unsplash
This drive kinds a part of the community’s ‘Examine Your Drawers’ marketing campaign, urging the general public to recycle outdated gadgets or refurbish them in alternate for money – with the choice of donating that cash to neighborhood causes.
Ash Schofield, giffgaff’s CEO, stated: There are unbelievable numbers of outdated cell phones merely mendacity round untouched, which presents an issue of mammoth scale relating to e-waste.
“These telephones may nonetheless serve a function for another person they usually can include components which could give different gadgets a brand new lease of life.
“Because of this we’re working our ‘Examine Your Drawers’ marketing campaign – to encourage the inhabitants to get their outdated telephones again into circulation by launching a round financial system for telephones and constructing a brand new and sustainable mannequin for the trade by getting them again into circulation.”
The examine discovered that Londoners spend essentially the most cash per yr on new cell phones – £229.81 on common.
However these dwelling in Aberystwyth splash out the least per particular person – simply £52.15.
Along with having the very best charges of superfluous cell phones per dwelling within the UK, London additionally has essentially the most unused tech gadgets total.
There are as many as 13 outdated devices within the common dwelling within the capital – together with two cell phones, two tablets and two laptops.
The everyday Birmingham family isn’t far behind with 11 items of tech, whereas houses in Southampton have a median of 10 undesirable devices.
It additionally emerged that the commonest causes for changing outdated cell phones are as a result of the outdated one broke (47 per cent) and since it was not supported (25 per cent) by software program.
Nonetheless, through the previous 5 years 68 per cent have been extra inclined to make use of tech gadgets for longer slightly than get the newest mannequin as quickly because it’s launched.
Once they’re completed with their outdated telephones, a 3rd recycle them and 17 per cent promote them on-line.
Though 16 per cent admitted they have a tendency to carry on to their tech, regardless of by no means being possible to make use of it once more.
In truth, 63 per cent by no means have a filter of outdated tech gadgets corresponding to cell phones.
However a lack of know-how could possibly be accountable for extra individuals not recycling their gadgets, as 44 per cent don’t know how you can do away with outdated expertise in a method which minimises impression to the atmosphere.
The giffgaff analysis carried out by OnePoll discovered 73 per cent can be all for a scheme the place they donate outdated cell phones to charity to be recycled or refurbished.
Ash Schofield added: “This yr, giffgaff is championing a ‘round financial system’, and giving individuals the choice to get an excellent Black Friday deal.
“But in addition to offer again by refurbishing or recycling their outdated telephones, with the added choice to present a cellphone for good through our ongoing partnership with Neighbourly.
“Making certain along with our members we are able to make a distinction to native communities that want it most.”
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