Is FastTech Is the New Fast Fashion? The UK Buys 1 Billion Gadgets a Year – And Bins Half of Them

There’s a new tech trend sweeping the nation – and no, it’s not the latest AI app.

It’s FastTech: cheap, cheerful, and chillingly disposable. We’re talking mini-fans, LED lights, earbuds, solar-powered garden gnomes – basically anything with a battery, plug or cable that costs less than a fancy cocktail.

While they might save you during a heatwave or light up your next picnic, they’re wreaking havoc on the environment.

This year alone, the UK bought a staggering 1.14 billion FastTech items. That’s enough to cover over 4,000 football pitches. Let that sink in – because we’re also throwing out more than half of them.

What Exactly Is FastTech?

FastTech is the tech version of that £9.99 polyester mini-dress you bought in a panic for a last-minute date and never wore again. It’s mass-produced, ultra-affordable electricals – things like charging cables, mini karaoke machines, sunset projectors, LED toilet seats (yes, really), and non-rechargeable batteries. They’re everywhere, and they’re irresistible – until the novelty wears off that is.

According to new research from Recycle Your Electricals, FastTech purchases are growing at lightning speed. In fact, total spend on FastTech has quadrupled from £2.8 billion in 2023 to a whopping £11.6 billion this year. It’s not just a shopping habit – it’s a full-blown tech epidemic.

“FastTech is growing as quickly as fast fashion and is going to have a similar negative impact, as it ends up in landfill and has a detrimental environmental impact,” explains Professor Cathrine Jansson-Boyd, Professor of Consumer Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University.

Mini-Fans, Maxi Problems

Right now, it’s mini-fans doing the damage. As summer temperatures soar, so does the temptation to impulse-buy a USB-powered breeze machine. Searches for mini-fans on Google are up 16% year on year, peaking just as the mercury hits 31°C. But here’s the catch: 3.4 million mini-fans have already been binned or left unused in the past 12 months.

And that’s just one product. In total, 589 million ‘FastTech’ items are thrown away every year in the UK – that’s 11.3 million a week, or 19 items a second. It’s not just shocking, it’s totally unsustainable.

As Scott Butler, Executive Director at Material Focus (the non-profit behind Recycle Your Electricals’ latest campaign), puts it “We had fast food, then fast fashion, now FastTech. It’s cheap, it’s easy to buy and it ends up in the bin.”

The Drawers of Doom

The problem isn’t just what we throw away – it’s what we stash. You know that drawer full of tangled cables, dead batteries, and that one earbud that stopped working after a week? You’re not alone. Almost 22 million FastTech items are unused after just one month of purchase, with many destined to live out eternity in the infamous ‘tech drawer’ of doom. 

While they sit there, so do valuable materials like lithium, copper and even gold. (Yes, gold. You might be richer than you think.) These are critical resources that could be reused to make everything from wind turbines to medical equipment – but instead, they’re gathering dust in your kitchen.

The demand for copper alone is expected to outstrip supply by 2030. Yet, we’re casually throwing it out with the trash.

Why Are We So Obsessed?

One word: price. These items are cheap – dangerously so. Over 12 million FastTech products sold last year cost £1 or less. Around 234 million items were bought for under £10. The most popular purchases? Non-rechargeable batteries, charging cables, LED lights, earbuds and – naturally – electric toothbrushes.

With 84% of UK adults owning at least 21 FastTech items each, the mindset has become: “It’s only a fiver, what’s the harm?” The harm, as it turns out, is colossal.

Andrea Cheong, fashion sustainability advocate and founder of The Mindful Monday Method, draws the line between fashion and tech: “Thanks to fast fashion, we’ve seen the quality of our clothes decline over the last few years. Similarly, the durability of our electricals has dropped too, thanks to FastTech. The unrealistic, low prices of FastTech encourages impulse purchases and makes them feel easy to dispose of.”

So What Can We Do?

We’re not here to shame your sunset projector obsession. But FastTech doesn’t have to be a one-way ticket to landfill. There are over 30,000 electrical recycling drop-off points in the UK, and most of us live within 10 minutes of one.

“FastTech might be cheap but it’s not disposable. In fact, anything with a plug, battery or cable should never be binned,” Scott Butler explains, “They’re full of useful metals and can be used again… When the novelty’s worn off, just make sure you visit our recycling locator.” (You can find your nearest locator at recycleyourelectricals.org.uk)

And if you’re feeling extra smug, try repairing items, donating them, or giving them a second life through online marketplaces. Recycling isn’t the only answer, but it’s a damn good start.

A Wake-Up Call

The bottom line? FastTech is turning into a slow disaster. And much like fast fashion, it’s only getting faster. The UK is now binning the equivalent of 2,278 football pitches worth of tech each year – and we’re still buying more. It’s easy to ignore because the items are small, cheap, and often hidden away. But the environmental toll is massive. These aren’t just gadgets – they’re part of a much bigger issue.

 “The key is knowing what actions we can take, to feel empowered amidst these challenges,” Andrea Cheong reminds us, “This includes repairing what we can, buying less often, and making sure anything with a plug, battery or cable is repaired, donated, or recycled.”

So next time you’re tempted by a flashing light-up gadget, take a breath. Ask yourself: Do I actually need this? Will I still be using it next month? Is this a mini-fan moment, or can I just open a window?

In an age where our homes are brimming with chargers, fans, old phones, and kitchen gadgets we forgot we even owned, it’s easy to lose track of what’s useful-and what’s just taking up space. But rather than letting your old electricals gather dust (or worse, tossing them in the bin), Professor Jansson-Boyd, says it’s now easier than ever to be a planet-friendly tech user.

Scroll on for her expert-approved tips for responsibly buying, using, and recycling your electricals-no tech degree required…

10 Tips for Recycling Your Electricals, According to an Expert

1. Stop. Think. Then Buy.

“Before you buy any new tech, think about whether you actually need it,” says Professor Jansson-Boyd. If you’re only going to use it once or twice, it’s probably not worth the purchase. She advises planning to use tech regularly-if not, it’s just another drawer-bound gadget.

2. Give Yourself a Cooling-Off Period

Impulse buys are often driven by adrenaline, not logic. “Have a cup of tea or look in another shop-going off to do something else might make you realise that you no longer want it,” she explains. Giving yourself even a few minutes to pause can reduce the urge to splurge.

3. Shop Second-Hand First

From refurbished tech on eBay to hidden gems at charity shops, there’s no shortage of great second-hand options. “Check if what you want can be bought second hand-it might very well be that a local shop or online platform has what you need,” says Professor Jansson-Boyd.

4. Don’t Get Sucked into Sales Hype

Discounts, 3-for-2s, and flash sales? Classic traps. “They’re all strategies to get you to experience an adrenaline rush,” she says. That rush can lead to overspending on things you don’t truly need-so take a deep breath and ask yourself: Do I actually want this?

5. Repair Before You Replace

A broken screen or faulty cable isn’t the end of the road. “Check if it can be repaired,” says Jansson-Boyd. “Many high street stores, like Currys, offer repairs-or go online and look for the closest repair shop.” Fixing is often cheaper, and greener, than buying new.

6. Use the One-Touch Rule

We’re all guilty of hoarding old tech in a ‘just in case’ drawer. “Never shove it in a drawer,” she warns. “If you do, it’s likely it will be there for a long time.” Instead, follow the ‘one-touch rule’-once you handle it, decide then and there: repair, donate or recycle.

7. Rehome or Regift It

Just because you’re done with it doesn’t mean someone else wouldn’t love it. “Think about giving it to a neighbour with kids, put it on eBay or donate it to charity,” she says. “Schools, nurseries, libraries, and hospitals often welcome tech donations if they’re in good condition.”

8. Never Bin Your Tech

Repeat after us: If it has a plug, battery, or cable-it can be recycled. Electrical waste contains valuable and finite materials like gold, copper and lithium. “Never put unwanted tech in your bin,” urges Jansson-Boyd. Recycling it properly helps protect these critical resources.

9. Use the Postcode Locator

Not sure where to donate, repair or recycle? “Help is at hand-use the Recycle Your Electricals postcode locator,” says Jansson-Boyd. With nearly 30,000 drop-off points across the UK, you’re likely just a short stroll from doing the right thing.

Find your nearest drop-off point here →

10. Make It a Habit

Behaviour change doesn’t happen overnight-but it does stick with time. “If you think about what to do every day, for around 6 weeks, you will find it becomes second nature,” she explains. “And you’ll do your bit for the environment without having to think about it. Bonus.”

TL;DR

Think twice before you buy, give your tech a second life when you’re done, and never underestimate the power of a neatly labeled recycling box. As Professor Jansson-Boyd puts it, “It’s easier than ever to make a difference”- and that difference starts with you. Let’s keep the tech drawer a little less doomy – and the planet a little more dreamy.

For more info on what can be recycled, check the item label or visit the site. To find your nearest electrical recycling point, visit: recycleyourelectricals.org.uk