British technology retailer Currys has announced a new commitment to tackle e-waste.

The initiative – which the company has called ‘Long Live Your Tech’ – aims to educate and help consumers make more informed choices when buying and disposing technology.

The retailer said that the UK is currently “facing into an e-waste perfect storm” as reliance on technology mounts.

According to Currys, unwanted electrical and tech waste is now the fastest growing waste stream both in the UK and across the globe.

It says that the UK is one of the world’s biggest producers of tech waste, generating 23.9kg per head and throwing away 155,000 tonnes of electrical waste in household bins every year.

The new programme brings together its existing sustainability initiatives, such as the launch of a Go Greener range, with new ones like the UK’s "first ever recycling scheme" that gives a monetary reward for unwanted tech.

“At Currys we recognise the pressing need to improve our use of resources and create circular business models, which is why we are a leader in extending the life of technology through our repair, recycling and reuse programmes," said Lindsey Haselhurst, chief supply chain officer, Currys. “The UK is heading into an e-waste perfect storm with tech playing an increasingly important role in our everyday lives, yet consumers are struggling to understand how to dispose of it responsibly.

"And while there is a lot of noise when it comes to our plastic usage, our consumption of fast fashion and our approach to food waste; tech, despite being so integral to how we live – keeping us fed, entertained and connected - is often forgotten about."

Currently Currys collects on average 5,500 tonnes of unwanted tech every month and is hoping to surpass that in the next few weeks as the initiative launches with a ‘Cash for Trash’ initiative, running from 16th March to 15th April 2022.

“As the UK’s largest tech retailer, helping our customers enjoy their technology means, as well as assisting them in choosing shiny new amazing tech, we must support them in giving a longer life to the tech they already have," added Haselhurst. "By bringing together and extending our sustainability programmes under our ‘Long Live Your Tech’ commitment, Currys is making the recycling, repairing and rehoming unwanted tech so much easier for those customers who want to do the right thing when it comes to e-waste but don’t know where to start.”

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