The global demand for fast tech is growing. Cheap electronic devices are quickly discarded or forgotten in drawers, and experts warn that this is harmful to the environment.
The BBC reported this, citing data from Material Focus, a non-profit organization working to reduce electronic waste.
For example, during hot weather, demand for battery-powered mini fans increases. In 2024, people purchased more than seven million such gadgets. According to Material Focus estimates, consumers spent nearly $10.8 million on illuminated toilet seats, portable karaoke machines, and LED-illuminated balloons.
According to the survey, people’s spending on fast technology has quadrupled since 2023, reaching $14.7 billion. Professor Catherine Jansson-Boyd writes that this boom could develop as rapidly as fast fashion and have a similar negative impact.
Experts advise recycling unwanted gadgets, but more than half are in the trash. Plastic and electronic waste thrown away often ends up in landfills in poorer countries.
A preliminary report by Material Focus shows that unused gadgets lying around in drawers could contain more than 38,000 tons of copper. And the extraction of materials for the manufacture of electronics harms the ecosystem.
Consumers should be more conscious about their purchases. The organization’s executive director, Scott Butler, urged people to “think before buying another piece of fast technology and honestly ask themselves if they really need it.”