Finding it difficult to be a planet friendly tech user? 

24th June 2025

Tech and electricals are amazing, they keep our clothes clean and our food fresh, they keep us warm, connected to friends and family and even save lives. They’re also full of valuable, critical and finite materials. So, we need to treat them with respect and buy, use and dispose of them responsibly. 

Here are some top tips from Professor Cathrine Jansson-Boyd on what you can do to make sure that these items are used responsibly and when you don’t need them, how to re-use or recycle them. 

1. Think before you buy – Before you buy any new tech, think about whether you actually need it. If you think you are only going to use it once or twice, don’t buy it! You should be planning to use it regularly. 

2. Take a break – If you are unsure about what you are buying, give yourself some space and time to consider it. 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. Taking some time out before buying something also helps you to resist making impulse buys. If you do something else for a few minutes, the adrenaline rush settles and you are less likely to buy the item on offer.

3. Try second hand – Check if what you want can be bought second hand, it might very well be that a local charity shop or second-hand online platform such as Vinted or eBay has what you need.

4. Don’t be fooled by flashy deals – Don’t get seduced into buying more than you need. Discounts, 3 for 2 offers, sales for limited times are all strategies to get you to experience an adrenaline rush. It makes you get carried away and you may end up with an unwanted purchase. 

5. Repair before you replace – If something breaks, check if it can be repaired. Many high street stores, like Currys, offer repairs. Or go online and look for the closest repair shop. 

6. Give your tech a second life – when you are done with your tech, never shove it in a drawer. If you do it is likely it will be there for a long time as you will forget about them. Stick with the ‘one touch rule’. When you get your hands on the tech, and if it’s broken deal with it there and then by popping it into a bag or a box ready to be recycled.

Think about giving it to a neighbour with kids, put it on eBay or donate it to charity. Schools, nurseries, libraries, and hospitals often welcome tech donations if they are in good condition. Never put unwanted tech in your bin, anything with a plug, battery or cable can be recycled.

If in doubt about where you can repair, donate, or recycle, help is at hand, use the Recycle your Electricals’ postcode locator – there’s almost 30,000 locations across the country.

You can also keep a box or bag in your home to store your unwanted tech items, then when it is full take it to be recycled. The key is to try and make it as easy as possible for you.

Behaviour changes don’t usually happen automatically. So, if you think about what to do every day, for around 6 weeks, you will find it becomes second nature to do what is best for the environment. And you will find that you do your bit for the environment without having to think about it. Bonus!