New research has discovered that the average UK household has a staggering 60 items of old and unused tech lying around with a potential trade-in value of between £100 and £7,750.
OKdo found that many people are hoarding old smartphones, cables, laptops, tablets, smartwatches and more, with the average household keeping dozens of tech items in varying conditions tucked away in drawers, cupboards, attics, basements and garages.
Over two thirds of Brits (68%) have at least one old charger, while over half (52%) have at least one old laptop stored away. The majority (51%) are also holding on to at least one smartphone they no longer use, while roughly half have at least one older mobile phone hidden somewhere in their house.
One in 10 (10%) said none of their old tech is working, while a third (33%) say up to half isn’t usable.
A third (33%) claim to be totally clueless when it comes to what to do with these items and are unaware that even if they’re not in working condition, they could still hold value.
Experts at Mazuma estimate that people could get anywhere from £100 to £7,750 for all their old tech based on current trade in values for devices.
Here is a handy guide to how much your old tech could be worth:
- A smartphone - £5 to £470 per item
- A laptop (Windows) - £5 to £165 per item
- An Apple Mac laptop - £8 to £360 per item
- A tablet computer - £5 to £130 per item
- An iPad - £5 to £610 per item
- A games console - £5 to £135 per item
- A smartwatch - £5 to £195 per item
- An iPhone - £10 to £860 per item
Richard Curtin, SVP of Technology at OKdo explains why it’s important to sell, trade-in, recycle, or donate old tech rather than just leaving it in a drawer or putting it in the bin.
He said: “Modern electronics are made using materials such as gold, copper, and cobalt. Disposing of old tech rather than reusing it means we lose these valuable resources.
“A 2019 report by the World Economic Forum estimated the material value of the world’s e-waste at £46 billion.
“When we discard our old tech to landfill, there’s also a risk of toxic substances from the components making their way into soil and water.”
Okdo’s top tips for what to do with old tech
There are many ways to dispose of electronics without having to contribute to landfill.
You can donate to one of several charities and tech initiatives, use a professional recycling service to ensure your old devices are properly and safely disposed of, or even trade-in items to get cash or vouchers.
Where to sell, donate or recycle
- Mazuma is one of many online businesses that will buy your old smartphones, tablets, games consoles, watches and laptops from you. You can either get cash, or an e-voucher (worth 10% extra). When taking into consideration the average number of each tech item that UK households have, and the typical top and bottom trade-in values of these.nYou can find out more about what happens to your old devices after you’ve traded them on the Mazuma website.
- Some local authorities collect small electrical items as part of their curbside collection services, but you can also recycle these and larger appliances at Household Waste Recycling Centres. You can find a list of these near you here.
- The British Heart Foundation also offers a free, Covid-secure collection service for working electronics. These may then be sold in their stores or online, meaning your unused and unneeded tech is contributing to good causes.
- WeeeCharity is a non-profit charity registered in the UK that helps to relieve poverty by offering free recycling of computers and electrical equipment, no matter what condition it’s in. These electronics are then recycled, donated, or resold back to the community.
- You can now send any pre-loved Raspberry Pi board to OKdo free of charge, via the OKdo Renew scheme, and in return you will receive a £10 voucher. For each board that is sent it, a donation will be made to the Raspberry Pi Foundation which works to put the power of computing into the hands of young people all over the world and encourages to express themselves creatively - find out more here.
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