Time After Time e-waste report: insights from Gen Z

Time After Time e-waste report: insights from Gen Z October 2023

1

Contents

2

Foreword

4

About this report

6

Executive summary

7

Awareness and attitudes

8

Purchasing habits

11

Using a phone for longer

13

Repair

15

Storing old devices and passing them on

18

Recycling or disposing of devices

20

The role of policy

22

Full policy recommendations

24

Summary of general recommendations

26

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Foreword We are living through a tech revolution, with new gadgets popping up in every aspect of our lives. From cars and bikes to ‘smart’ appliances and toys, they all seem to contain a chip or battery. However, if you ask people about the pressing environmental issues of the day, very few will mention electronic waste. The problem is so immense that it can’t keep being ignored. Here’s one example: a staggering 5.3 billion mobile phones are expected to be discarded this year. We cannot blame other countries for this: by 2024, the UK is on track to produce more electrical waste per person than any other nation. We’re also not capturing its value: vast amounts of electrical items disposed of incorrectly end up in landfill, and about one in three of us have an old phone sitting in a drawer at home which could be reused or recycled.

This shines a light on how low awareness is. One in five of us in the UK don’t know devices can be recycled, and it’s not widely known that electronics are full of precious metals like lithium and cobalt. Moreover, it’s more than an environmental issue: despite the abundance of smart devices, one in twenty UK households lack internet access. Lack of digital access excludes people from much of modern society and exacerbates pre-existing disadvantages, prompting Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, to describe digital inclusion as a ‘basic human right’.

Hubbub and Virgin Media O2’s work began during the pandemic: addressing the ennvironmental and social issues together through ‘Community Calling’, a campaign that provides second-hand phones to people who need them.

We have since distributed over 15,000 devices and have developed a much deeper partnership, ranging from our Tech 4

Lending Community to the Time After Time E-waste Fund promoting innovative e-waste solutions.

The following report is our most recent collaboration and will guide the next phase of our work together. We aimed to learn more about young people’s understanding and attitudes towards waste and circularity in technology. Our previous work together showed us that Gen Z has low awareness and understanding of these issues, yet are very willing to adopt more sustainable behaviours. So, how can we nudge them in the right direction?

This report tackles that question, and begins to outline the blueprint for harnessing Gen Z’s good intentions and turning them into action at scale, and influencing broader culture around technology and waste. This research has identified four key areas where business and policymakers can support Gen Z to take action, ranging from awareness raising and improved education for young people, to policy recommendations such as fiscal incentives that could make repair and secondhand more appealing. We hope you enjoy reading the report, and that the findings within inspire work that helps keep our electronics out of landfills and in our hands for years to come.

Alex Robinson, CEO, Hubbub

Foreword It’s likely that you’re reading this report using a device that will ultimately break, whether that’s because of an accident or the slow accumulation of usage issues. You may repair it multiple times, but at some point you will be faced with the issue of what to do with the device when it’s no longer operable: throw it away, stash it away, or go the extra mile to recycle it.

Unfortunately, most people choose the first two options, which often have the same outcome: the device ends up in landfill, or worse, is burned, polluting not just the atmosphere but local water and soil ecosystems.

reduce e-waste and keep technology in circulation for longer.

This is all part of our Better Connections Plan, Virgin Media O2’s ESG strategy. We’ve made a commitment to achieve zero waste operations and products and enable our customers to take 10 million circular actions by 2025. This commitment encompasses the materials we use for our product packaging, our device repair and recycling services, and our refurbished device line. As part of this we’re committed to better understand consumer behaviour to enable us to recognize how we can support consumers to make more sustainable choices.

Our sector has a big role to play in combating the e-waste problem as it is a key part of the tech products value chain.

We’re committed to making sure that circularity is embedded into every stage of our operations and products. At Virgin Media O2, we launched O2 Recycle in 2009 and, since then, have recycled over 3.8 million devices and paid out over £320 million to consumers who have sold their old tech to the scheme with zero going to landfill. However, there is so much more we can do as a business, industry and sector. Most paramount is rethinking product design and the accessibility of handset repair and recycle services. This way, we can help society move to a more circular economy, where technology is designed with this in mind and can be used again and again.

This research is just one step forward in this process and will inform our efforts to raise awareness of the e-waste issue, demystify it and promote more sustainable purchasing, recycling and disposal behaviours, which will ultimately shape how circularity is embedded in the way the sector operates.

Our partnership with Hubbub has taken our focus on circularity to the next level and added a social and digital inclusion element to our work in this space. We know we can’t do this alone. We’re committed to working with government, manufacturers and our sector on creating systemic change to

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Dana Haidan, Chief Sustainability Officer, Virgin Media O2

About this report How we did the research Working with Virgin Media O2, we set out to understand Gen Z’s perspective on the issue of e-waste and how this informs attitudes and behaviours towards circularity in relation to technology, and specifically mobile phones.

We focussed on young people because of their increasing presence in the consumer market and because they have a unique status as digital natives. Devices are an important part of how they see the world, and so understanding their attitudes and behaviours towards them is essential to ensure electrical items are kept in use as long as possible.

How we structured the report We’ve split this report into sections focussing on different attitudes and behaviours. Within each section you’ll find specific insights from our research, as well as recommendations for policymakers, manufacturers, campaigners, telecoms companies, and other organisations.

To gain this understanding we took the following approach:

Interviews with industry experts To inform our research we spoke to Green Alliance, the Restart Project, Material Focus, GoldMine, Virgin Media O2 and Genuine Solutions.

Public polling We worked with Censuswide to conduct polling with a UK representative sample of 3,000 adults. From this, we’ve focussed on insights from people aged 16-26 years, referred to as ‘Gen Z’ and ‘Young people’ throughout the report.

Focus groups Working with Feedback Maket Research we spoke to 29 young people (aged 16-26) across five focus groups to explore the results of the polling.

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Executive summary Awareness of e-waste is low among young people, but there is a willingness to act. For example, Gen Z are the most likely generation to buy a second-hand device, with nearly half having done so in the past.

Gen Z are interested and willing to adopt other positive behaviours, such as repairing or selling on their phone, and recycling it at the end of its life. These behaviours are largely motivated by being financially savvy rather than being led by concern for the environment; if they were better informed of the wider benefits, we can assume their uptake would increase even further with social and environmental reasons becoming reinforcing factors.

Mistrust in what’s being done to combat e-waste is high among Gen Z on a number of issues: they are unsure about what happens to devices at end of life, what government and business are doing to combat e-waste in general, and on the quality of refurbished devices. Communications aimed at this age group must be authentic and offer reassurance to their concerns.

Gen Z are vocal about the support they need in order to act on e-waste. This support focusses around 4 main areas: 1. Improve general awareness of the issue and the part individuals can play.

2. Make refurbished devices more visible and appealing.

3. Support them to repair to ensure they can use their devices for longer.

4. Educate them about how to pass on their phones and when they should send their phone for recycling.

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Policy interventions are also needed and require cross-sector support. These could include:

Better products Design standards to build repairability into devices, for example, via more modular design.

Longer lives Mandatory warranties and greater consumer rights to enable customers to keep devices for longer.

Money savings Tax changes and fiscal incentives to make actions like repair and purchasing second-hand more financially appealing.

Improved information Labelling or product passports to improve the information available to consumers e.g. repairability, recyclability and environmental impact.

Awareness and attitudes Young people’s lack of understanding of electronic waste underlies many behaviours and attitudes towards circularity.

66%

of Gen Z are aware smartphones contain precious metals.

56%

of Gen Z recognise that some of the materials in smartphones may be useful for low carbon technologies.

69%

of Gen Z believe everyone in the UK should have access to a smartphone or device, just 7% disagree.

72%

of Gen Z think we should be concerned about the number of electronics that are thrown away or go to waste by being stored in people’s homes.

“Hand on heart, it’s something I’ve never thought about.”

Generally, there is a lack of awareness among young people around what e-waste is and why it’s a problem. This underpins many of their behaviours and attitudes towards circularity.

Some were surprised to hear that old devices and electronic items could be considered ‘waste’. One noted that when they ‘think of waste’ they ‘think of plastic’, but definitely ‘don’t think of tech waste’.

When shown stats on e-waste during our focus groups, many young people were surprised more isn’t being done to reclaim the valuable materials inside electricals, given the scale of the problem. However, they were generally aware that the consumption of tech is high so were unsurprised that there are problems that arise from this.

“That’s insane, but when I think about it everyone in the world has a phone. There’s going to be loads of waste.”

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The average person has 2 phones sitting unused.

Awareness and attitudes Young people feel strongly that more needs to be done to raise awareness about the issue of e-waste. Many think individuals are responsible for doing the right thing, but manufacturers, businesses and government must support them to take the right action.

“How are we supposed to know about it if we aren’t told?”

“Don’t think anyone knows enough about electrics [sic]”

There is mistrust among some young people as to what the industry is doing to act on the issue of e-waste. For some, this mistrust leads to a sense of hopelessness when it comes to the actions an individual can take to reduce electrical waste. They feel that if large companies aren’t making a genuine effort to improve their practices, then their own behaviour ‘isn’t going to change anything’ or ‘do anything for e-waste’.

Only half of young people trust that electricals get recycled when given to a recycler (51%), with the remaining being unsure (25%) or not believing they get recycled (24%).

Whilst this does show some trust, there is significant room for improvement by openly sharing the recycling process with young people.

There is an opportunity for manufacturers, retailers and recyclers to further build trust with customers, raise awareness on why it is important to pass on unused working electricals and to recycle anything broken beyond repair. Young people expect strong green credentials from businesses and for them to lead by example. The discussion of ‘profit versus planet’ was also frequently raised by participants, mainly in context of promotional pushes around the latest phones and perceived built-in obsolescence of devices.

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Awareness and attitudes General recommendations Harness young people’s willingness to act. Whilst understanding of e-waste and its impacts may be low, Gen Z are still highly willing to alter their behaviour.

Businesses and policymakers can harness this willingness by: • Improving education on e-waste: manufacturers, retailers, government and local authorities all have a role to play in providing consumers with more information that’s easily digestible.

• Using clearer terminology: part of the confusion comes from the different understandings of what terms like ‘e-waste’, ‘recycling’ or ‘refurbished’ mean.

Simplified language that is tailored to specific situations is needed when communicating what people should do with their old electricals.

• Communicating authentically to build trust: leading industry players should ensure that they authentically communicate the issue of e-waste and what they’re doing to tackle it alongside their commercial activities. This includes using relevant social media channels and language that best connects with young people.

• Reducing barriers to action via improved education, but also via policy interventions – see following sections.

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Purchasing habits There are multiple options for young people to choose from when it comes to replacing their phone: brand new, refurbished (a used device restored to a ‘likenew’ condition), and second-hand (a used phone which has not been refurbished). Refurbished and second-hand devices help keep phones in use for longer, promoting circularity.

Young people replace their phones more often than any other generation.

In the past 2 years...

64%

of young people say they have bought a new smartphone.1

44%

have received a second-hand phone from a family member or friend.3

45%

have bought a refurbished/ second-hand phone.2

(compared to 58%1, 28%2, and 26%3 of all people polled respectively)

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The most common reasons for young people replacing their phones were them being broken beyond use, repair being too expensive, the battery no longer lasting as well and their contract prompting them to upgrade.

The promotion of new phone models was mentioned by multiple young people, who felt that marketing encouraged them or their peers to upgrade their phones more frequently.

They also commented that they don’t see refurbished phones advertised or offered on contracts as frequently as brand new.

Almost half of young people have bought a second-hand phone within the past 2 years and encouraging more to do so is an important way for individuals to reduce their carbon footprint and e-waste1. The most common reason for this was to save money, with one focus group participant saying the costsaving is a “no brainer”.

Overall, young people would be more likely to buy a secondhand or refurbished device if: • They were cheaper.

• They were easier to find or promoted better.

• They offered a warranty/guarantee that the phone would work to a good standard or as expected.

Concerns about buying a second-hand or refurbished phone included: • The battery not lasting as long.

• The warranty not being as good or concerns that there might not be a warranty at all.

• They would be more likely to break than a new phone.

• Some were concerned about risks relating to data left on the device by the previous owner.

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www.gsma.com/betterfuture/reuse-refurbish-recycle

Purchasing habits There are misconceptions around refurbished devices and what terms relating to the condition of a phone (e.g. ‘like new’) mean; some young people were unsure if they would try refurbished as they believed it wouldn’t last as long. This highlights that more could be done to build trust around refurbished devices and to celebrate the multiple benefits they can provide. Importantly, the environmental as well as financial advantages should be outlined.

For some, new devices are just more appealing than secondhand or refurbished. This could be linked to enjoying the experience of a new purchase and liking to have the latest tech when a phone launches. Other reasons included the guarantee of a new device being in good condition, wanting a pristine ‘unboxing experience’ or simply wanting to treat themselves. This suggests there is a role for the industry in reassuring customers and providing myth-busting information on the quality of refurbished or second-hand electronics and the experience they’ll receive.

General recommendations Make second-hand or refurbished devices more accessible, affordable, and desirable by: •

•

•

Policy recommendations Removing VAT on refurbished or second-hand devices to lower costs: • Financial savings are a big motivator for young people, so a 20% reduction on refurbished devices is likely to be a significant motivator.

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Additional promotion of the option to buy refurbished devices on contract: many focus group participants said they weren’t aware this was an option but would be interested in the future. Better promotion of refurbished devices in contract offers would also help with wider social norming around second-hand tech.

Reassuring customers of refurbished or second-hand device quality by emphasising warranties/guarantees: some are put off second-hand and refurbished devices by concerns that they wouldn’t last long or that the quality will be poor. Many were unaware of their rights if a phone isn’t working as expected, and so more can be done to reassure of their quality and potential lifespan.

Myth-busting the experience of buying ‘refurbished’: focus group participants mentioned the excitement of buying ‘new’ – e.g. the ‘unboxing experience’ or the ‘fresh out of the box’ feel. This experience can be equally true for refurbished suggesting there’s an opportunity to better promote this. There is a role for businesses, individuals and government in demystifying this experience.

Using a phone for longer Phones should be kept in use for as long as possible to create less waste and reduce the demand on the energy and resources needed for new phones.

Many mobile phone manufacturers aim to provide operating system (OS) updates to phones for 5 years, but the length of time a phone is supported can vary (Which, 2023). Unless it breaks before then, most commonly, young people said they replace their phone every 2-2.5 years (26% of young people).

Unreliability and poor battery life encourage people to change devices. Many young people in our focus groups noted how they aim to keep hold of their phones for as long as possible, but say their phone can’t keep up.

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74%

of Gen Z think that manufacturers should design devices to be usable for longer.

70%

of Gen Z said they’d be willing to pay more for a phone if it would last longer.

Help to keep devices in use for longer. Many young people said their phone batteries don’t last long enough, and software updates on older devices often cause them to slow down.

Some focus group participants were critical of how they perceived devices to be ‘built to fail’.

Some simply don’t see the need to keep hold of their phones for longer, even if phones were built with more longevity in mind. One focus group participant commented that getting the newest phone when it comes out is ‘just the “thing” now’, and another said a longer warranty wouldn’t make a difference as they wouldn’t want to keep a phone for ‘more than 2 years’.

Others felt that a longer warranty which covered screen repair or battery replacement would be useful in helping them keep their phone for longer.

Using a phone for longer Policy recommendation •

Mandatory warranties and greater consumer rights: The government could mandate longer warranty periods and ensure that certain repairs and updates are included within those periods.

General recommendations Help young people keep their phones in use for longer by: • Emphasising and promoting care habits to help make a device last longer: This could include better charging habits, screen protectors, and phone cases.

All of which could help people keep their phones in better condition and enable them to last longer for themselves or the next user. These could be better promoted to young people in particular who replace their phones more frequently.

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Repair Repair is an important part of circularity in technology as it ensures devices last longer and can refresh old phones that people might otherwise replace.

“We probably wouldn’t get new ones [phones] as often if repairs were cheaper and more accessible.”

Gen Z are the generation most likely to have had a phone repaired.

72%

of Gen Z had their phone repaired at least once.

Overall, factors that would encourage more young people to repair were: • If it was cheaper (27%) • If it would be done quickly (23%) • If it was easier to do (22%)

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Who do Gen Z think is responsible to ensure electrical items are easier to repair?

• Manufacturer of the item – 54% • The businesses they bought them from – 40% • UK Government – 23% People feel that the manufacturers of devices are most responsible for ensuring ease of repair, and that they should be designed with repair in mind, particularly around parts that they feel fail more frequently.

Particular parts of the device that people wish were easier to repair include:

39%

36%

26%

battery

screen

charging port

Introducing repairability scores on phones would help people make decisions about the phones they buy, with some commenting that it would help them pick a phone that would likely last longer. However, others said it may not make much difference to them anyway as they feel ‘locked in’ with a specific phone manufacturer.

Repair Many young people in the focus groups said they’d be open to attempting repair themselves if they had clear advice on how to do so from the manufacturer. The idea of being able to repair easy, straightforward issues with quick fixes appealed to young people. However, some were concerned that if they attempt to repair a phone themselves, they may cause further damage. ‘I’d rather have a broken phone than no phone!’

Despite fairly high levels of repair, prior bad experiences with repair and the perceived high costs involved were some of the most frequently mentioned barriers to repair. For some focus group participants, cost combined with how long they had owned their device were factors, as they felt it may be more cost-effective to simply upgrade if the cost of repair was high.

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27%

of young people said they would be more likely to get a phone repaired if it was cheaper or more cost-effective.

18%

of Gen Z were concerned about being without a phone whilst it was being repaired.

Policy recommendations •

Enforce Right to Repair: any new or existing policies protecting consumers’ Right to Repair need to be enforced by government.

•

Removing VAT on repair services: to lower the cost and make repair more accessible.

VAT should be removed from both parts and labour.

•

Design standards: the UK government could build on the success of energy efficiency standards, and bring in further requirements that improve durability and repairability, as the EU is doing with phones and laptops.

•

Labelling/resource efficiency information: repairability scores could be introduced, as they have been in France, where electronics are given a score based on ease of repair. Factors include: ease of disassembly for repairs, availability of repair information, and the availability and affordability of spare parts.

•

Product passports: digital product passports, which the EU will require for consumer electronics from 2026, could be introduced to provide information about how to repair and recycle devices.

Repair General recommendations Young people can be supported and encouraged to repair their devices, which can ensure their devices are kept in use for longer. To help them do this, there should be a focus on: • Supporting young people by providing instructions and guidance: whether providing instructions to repair at home or improved guidance on how to seek out repair services, more could be done by manufacturers and retailers to support customers in device repair.

• Communicating the cost-saving benefits of repairing over replacing: young people are often motivated by cost-savings, so the savings that can be made by repair compared to replacing a phone could be better highlighted through engaging, accessible communications.

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Storing old devices and passing them on Electrical items that still work should be kept in use, rather than sitting unused in people’s drawers or being sent for recycling.

Storing devices 57%

More than half of young people don’t know what to do with old electricals, so end up storing them out of sight at home.

On average, Gen Z have two phones sitting unused at home.

Our focus groups suggested that this is often something their whole family or household is in the habit of doing because they don’t ‘know where to take’ them.

Other reasons people have unused smartphones stored at home include: • Wanting a spare in case theirs breaks (23% of young people) – as many as 44% of young people have used a phone they had kept as a back-up.

• They just haven’t got round to doing anything with it yet (17% young people).

• They have photos stored on it they’re yet to back up (22% young people).

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Passing on devices It’s better to keep a phone in use than to leave it sitting unused at home. A whopping 76% of Gen Z think more should be done to encourage people to pass on or recycle their unused electronics.

Gen Z are the age group most likely to keep their phone in use after they’ve finished with it. In the last 2 years: • 31% of Gen Z have donated a smartphone to charity (compared to 18% all polled).

• 53% have given a smartphone to a family member or friend (compared to 40% all polled).

• 41% have sold a smartphone or traded one into a takeback scheme (compared to 29% all polled).

• 46% have sold a smartphone directly to another person (compared to 27% all polled).

Being financially savvy is an important factor for Gen Z passing on their phones, as they are the most likely to sell their phones directly to a retailer or directly to another person. Some participants noted that selling or passing on their phone as soon as they’re done with it maximises the money they get, and some wondered why they were unable to trade in more than one device in takeback schemes offered by retailers.

Focus groups also revealed clever ways of keeping phones in use such as systems within their family where if one person purchases a new phone, they pass their old phone to another person giving everyone an upgrade. Most young people also thought that unused electronics should be redistributed to those who needed them most (70%), 7% disagree.

Storing old devices and passing them on General recommendations

The phone hustle: Gen Z are the generation most likely to sell their phones to either...

52%

a retailer

59%

or to another person directly

Other potential benefits that are worth promoting to young people include it being better for the environment, or that the phone could support someone in need. Whilst these issues do not appear to be major motivators, they can reinforce behaviour to make it more likely they will repeat the action in the future.

Concerns about removing data and storing memories such as photos and texts from old devices were a barrier for some people. Whilst just 10% of Gen Z (18% of all polled) said they were concerned about the data on their device, this was frequently mentioned in the focus groups. More could be done to show people how to safely remove data or offer reassurances or certification that data would be removed for them if they traded in or recycled their devices.

Some focus group participants suggested that manufacturers or phone retailers could offer clearer information about what they should do with their old phones when they received a new one, for example, in their new phone box.

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At point of sale and in communications with customers, manufacturers and retailers could encourage the passing on of old devices. This could be done by: • Frequently communicating with customers about the financial, social and environmental benefits of passing on a device and the ways they can do so, for example, signposting to re-distribution schemes.

• Making it easy and accessible to pass on a device: This could include providing free postal/collection to take a device off a customer’s hands or providing a financial incentive to do so.

• Providing guidance and reassurance about data retrieval and data-wiping processes to build trust and mitigate concerns about lost data or data theft.

Recycling or disposing of devices Items that are broken beyond repair, or those no longer supported by software or security updates, should be passed on for recycling.

Polling shows that Gen Z are the age group most likely to say they have recycled a phone. However, there’s confusion among this group about where they can go to recycle a device and some mistrust as to whether devices will actually be recycled.

Although 55% of Gen Z have attempted to recycle a phone, some of those did so incorrectly, suggesting more education is needed.

How do Gen Z recycle their phones?

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24%

have taken a device back to where they bought it.

13%

have taken a device to a smartphone recycling point.

16%

have taken a device to a recycling centre.

Millennials and Gen Z were the most likely generations to put their old phones in household general waste and recycling bins. Some of this can be put down to ‘wishcycling’, whereby people hope items will be sorted out into recycling by waste companies.

Where ‘wishcycling’ goes wrong:

38%

said they have put their phone in mixed recycling.

38%

said they have put their phone in the general waste.

However, others were either not aware how to or unmotivated to use recycling points for electrical items. Some participants stated they ‘wouldn’t have a clue’ where to begin to recycle an old device. For many, this was due to the fact they simply ‘haven’t heard any information’ on recycling old devices, stating it’s ‘something you’re never taught’, to the extent that some people didn’t even know recycling a device was possible.

Recycling locations must be local and convenient to access as focus group participants didn’t want to ‘make a special trip for that purpose.’ Places people wish they could recycle their items included charity shops, supermarkets, and at the retailer where they purchased their mobile phone. Many of these options are already available but people need to be made more aware that they exist, for example, at the point when they receive a new device.

Recycling or disposing of devices Financial incentives could also help to encourage more recycling. Beyond convenience, our focus groups suggested that offering financial incentives and savings for bringing old phones for recycling could encourage a higher recycling rate.

Where these schemes exist already, how could they be better communicated to customers?

Younger generations have been more put off recycling due to a lack of awareness of where or how to recycle a smartphone

21%

21

of Gen Z are put off recycling (Millennial, 22%; Gen X, 17%; Baby Boomers, 14%).

General recommendations Manufacturers, retailers, the government and local authorities all have a role to play in making it easier for people to recycle old, broken devices. This can be done by: • Educating people on when and how they should pass on a phone for recycling: clearer information should be provided on what to do with a phone that’s working compared to a phone that’s broken beyond repair. This could help people understand which option is best for them and when. For example, whether they should sell their device or pass it on to a recycler.

• Make recycling points clearer and easier for people to access, young people want recycling points in places that are convenient for them to access: Existing recycling points can be signposted more clearly and any new recycling infrastructure should have an emphasis on convenience.

• Providing and promoting financial incentives for people to recycle a device as this is a significant motivator.

The role of policy Government policy has a considerable influence on the amount of e-waste created and how it is handled, and could help change norms and attitudes around product lifetimes, repair and recycling.

In the UK, several initiatives are already in place. These include eco-design standards developed during the UK’s membership of the EU, which have focused on improving the energy efficiency of household appliances and other products. They are an undisputed success story, having pushed the least efficient products off the market, while saving consumers money – at least £100 off the average annual UK energy bill.

While most standards have focused on energy efficiency, the latest round for some kitchen goods, TVs and lighting included requirements about repairability and the availably of spare parts. As of 2021, the government also mandated that retailers who sell over £100,000 of electrical and electronic equipment must provide takeback systems for customers that purchase new equipment.

The EU will shortly be bringing in new requirements for tablets and phones, including resistance to accidental drops or scratches, protection from dust and water and durable batteries. Manufacturers will have to make critical spare parts available to repairers and offer system upgrades for at least five years. The new rules will also change the type of information provided when buying a new product, including information on battery longevity and a repairability score. It is unclear if the UK will follow suit.

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The role of policy Already, in both the EU and UK, energy labelling – the familiar traffic light ratings on labels for goods like washing machines and fridges – is mandatory for some products. The mobile phone industry has also developed an eco-rating system for smartphones, which covers a wider set of environmental impacts. The rating goes from 1 to 100, based on a phone’s durability, repairability, recyclability, resource efficiency and climate efficiency.

Other UK government developments are expected soon, including new ‘extended producer responsibility’ requirements, which hold electronics producers responsible for funding and possibly arranging end of life treatment. Historically, this has focused on recycling but could also be extended to include repair activities and encourage reuse.

With the UK generating more e-waste than any country in the world apart from Norway, these initiatives fall short of what is needed. There are numerous untapped tools the government could use to reduce e-waste and improve circularity, which have featured as policy recommendations throughout this report.

With thanks to Green Alliance.

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Full policy recommendations Further design standards Young people think manufacturers should be making phones that are easier to repair. The UK government could build on the success of the energy efficiency standards and bring in further requirements that improve durability and repairability, as the EU is doing with phones and laptops. This would also help address concerns about built in obsolescence as well as commonly perceived problems with battery lifespan.

Labelling and resource efficiency information There is a clear benefit to offering repairability scoring, as has been introduced in France, where electronics, including smartphones, are labelled based on criteria including: ease of disassembly to conduct repairs; the availability of technical information to guide repairs; and the availability and affordability of spare parts.

France intends to build on this with an index related to durability, and the UK could follow suit, building on energy labelling and industry designed schemes.

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Mandatory warranties and greater consumer rights Consumer rights legislation protects consumers if goods they have purchased are faulty and electronics usually come with additional warranties, normally for a period of one or two years for mobile phones. The government could mandate longer warranty periods and has promised to explore this option.

For example, the government could mandate that smartphones should last for five years. In line with views expressed in the focus groups, this should include covering the cost of any necessary repairs, as well as providing support for the latest software during that period. A wider ‘right to repair’, which could be brought in through consumer rights legislation, would include universal access to affordable spare parts, repair manuals and diagnostic tools, while ensuring that repairs can be carried out by independent repairers or product owners, not only the original manufacturers. Any new or existing policies protecting consumers’ Right to Repair need to be enforced by government.

Full policy recommendations Product passports Many people struggle to know how to repair their products and even how to recycle them.

This sort of information, as well as information about the materials a product contains, could be provided through digital product passports, as the EU will require for consumer electronics starting from 2026. The UK could follow suit and ensure that such ‘passports’ include information about repairing items, including where to buy spare parts and technical guides for conducting repairs.

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Tax changes and fiscal incentives As the survey and focus groups repeatedly noted, cost is one of the biggest barriers to repairing devices. The government could alleviate this through offering discounts or changing the tax system. In the UK, VAT is charged at 20% on both labour and capital, which makes products more expensive and disadvantages labour intensive activities, like professional repair services. Governments in other countries, including Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland and Finland, charge only 6% VAT on some repair activities, the lowest rate allowed by the EU. As the UK is no longer subject to EU VAT rules, it could now charge zero VAT on all repairs – for the labour portion as well as on the parts.

Similarly, VAT is normally charged on resold products, meaning that the same item is subject to taxation multiple times. The government could remove VAT from all resold electronics making refurbished devices cheaper and therefore more appealing to customers.

Summary of general recommendations Harness Gen Z’s willingness to act and raise awareness by: • Improving education on e-waste and giving people easy to understand information on why e-waste is a problem.

• Using clearer and more specific terminology when communicating e-waste to the public, e.g. tech, electricals, old phone.

• Communicating authentically to build trust and tackle e-waste together.

Make second-hand or refurbished devices more accessible, affordable and desirable by: • Increased promotion of the option to buy a refurbished device and the benefits of doing so.

• Reassuring customers of refurbished or second-hand device quality by emphasising warranties/guarantees.

• Myth-busting the experience of buying ‘refurbished’ and tapping into the desire for the unboxing experience.

Help keep phones in use for longer by: • Social norming the idea of keeping a device for longer and celebrating those who do.

• Emphasising better care habits that will keep devices in use for longer and in better condition for the next user.

Encouraging more people to repair could be done by: • Supporting Gen Z to repair themselves by providing instructions and guidance.

• Communicating the cost saving benefits of repair over buying new.

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At point of sale and in communications with customers, manufacturers and retailers could encourage passing on of old devices by: • Frequently communicating with customers about the financial, social and environmental benefits of passing on a device.

• Making it easy and accessible to pass on a device.

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Providing guidance about data retrieval and data-wiping.

With thanks A big thank you to everyone who played a role in pulling this report together.

With particular thanks to: • Virgin Media O2 • Green Alliance • The Restart Project • Genuine Solutions • GoodMine • Material Focus • Censuswide • Barley Communications

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