Daily Archives: February 7, 2012

Unwanted electrical goods worth £762 million are thrown away every year, according to new research.

New figures show more than 17 million mobile phones, music players, satnavs and other devices are sent straight to landfill. But the one in three adults who throws away one of the items would have received an average of £43.54 from a recycling centre, according to mobile phone provider O2.

Although some electronic gadgets contain hazardous contaminants such as lead and cadmium, it is not illegal to send them to landfill. However, against a backdrop of near record – and rising – commodity prices and growing environmental awareness, the pressure is on politicians, companies and consumers to recycle more of their discarded gadgets.