A study from the University of Surrey indicates that many electronics may be routed into recycling before their remaining usefulness is fully checked.
Here's what to know
The researchers argue that, for electronic waste, disposal is often becoming the default choice even though some products may still work or provide reusable parts, BBC reported.
The team studied the kinds of devices arriving at a municipal recycling center. About 2% to 2.5% of devices reaching a municipal recycling center were considered suitable for reuse, while 50% of the items taken to repair cafés were successfully repaired.
"Too many electrical products are treated as waste before anyone has properly considered whether they can be repaired, reused or stripped for valuable parts," study lead author Sheeba Pathak said.
More background
Speaking to BBC Radio Surrey, Mark Konieczko of the Cranleigh Repair Cafe said the findings did not surprise him. He said many people either do not know an item can be repaired or do not know where to take it, describing that as an "education thing."
He also said consumer behavior matters, with people often opting to replace devices because they are "wanting the latest tech."
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Product design can make that harder to resist, since some electronics are built in ways that complicate repairs, including being glued shut or not having readily available spare parts.
What's being done?
Pathak said recycling still matters, but it should not be treated as the automatic first destination.
"Recycling has an important role, but it should not automatically be the first destination for a device that may still have years of useful life," Pathak added.
Repair cafés are one clear example of a practical response.
Where can I learn more?
These stories look at some of the ways companies and recyclers are trying to keep electronics in use longer and recover more value when they cannot be fixed.
• Lenovo is expanding repair-and-recycle programs for businesses to keep devices in service longer.
• Redwood Materials is showing consumers where to take old cables instead of trashing them.
• Staples is offering shoppers rewards for recycling electronics as retailers widen e-waste collection.
• In India, Attero is pulling critical materials from discarded tech to reduce mining demand.
• In Texas, Metallium is building a plant to extract metals from e-waste.
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