Almost 90% of Europeans own at least one cheap electronic device - a USB adapter, a mini fan, an LED lamp or an electronic toy. Such goods are called "Fast Tech" by analogy with fast fashion: they are inexpensive, do not last long and are easily replaced. The study was commissioned by the WEEE forum, which is responsible for the collection and recycling of electronic waste, and was conducted by the consulting company Bellegarde Scientific Consulting.
A survey of adults in 12 European countries showed that 78% had bought such devices in the past year. Many dispose of them incorrectly: 23% put them in ordinary household waste, 21% in plastic containers, and 7% in street bins. Only 27% take them to recycling points, 19% to stores, and 29% simply keep unwanted gadgets at home.
At the same time, 21% consider such equipment more harmful to the environment than expensive equivalents, while 15.9% hold the opposite view. The link between awareness and proper disposal is weak: even those who know about the harm often act out of habit.
The survey showed that 58% of buyers can recall a device that lasted them no more than six months, and 39% recall throwing away or stopping using a gadget within a month. At the same time, 61% are satisfied with such purchases, and only 8% are dissatisfied. Young people buy more actively: among 18-29-year-olds, 93% had purchased "fast tech" in the past year, while among people aged 65 and older the figure was 61%. Low price attracts 55% of buyers, and 80% would be willing to pay more for a more durable product.
A separate study by Material Focus showed that in the UK alone more than half a billion small electronic items were bought in a year - about 16 per second. The WEEE Forum warns that a new surge in purchases is expected before "Black Friday" and the Christmas sales. "A cheap price does not mean there is no environmental price," says WEEE Forum director Pascal Leroy.
Improper disposal also poses a danger: many devices contain lithium-ion batteries. If damaged in garbage trucks or at sorting plants, they can ignite. According to the WEEE Forum, 36% of industry operators reported battery-related fires in the past year, and in France the number of such fires at waste recycling facilities doubled from 2019 to 2023.
The researchers also note that 57% of consumers do not know that online platforms selling electronics are obliged to contribute financially to the collection and recycling of waste. The WEEE Forum urges buyers to think before a purchase about whether the item is needed, whether it can be bought used and whether it can be repaired, and to take unwanted devices to official collection points.