So what’s in your drawer? We’ve got 40m unused electric devices

AS many as 40million electronic gadgets are lying around unused in British homes, a study suggests.

And the owners are largely unaware that the devices contain ‘rare earth elements’ which could be recycled.

Each of those gadgets, such as old mobile phones, games consoles, laptops, TVs and E-readers, contain a treasure trove of valuable chemicals which are increasingly endangered.

The Royal Society of Chemistry has carried out a survey of just how much unused technology is being stockpiled in British households.

More than 2,000 people took part in an online survey which revealed that half of homes had at least one unused electronic device and 45 per cent of households had up to five.

Most people said they had no plans to recycle their devices despite not having any use for them.

Mobile devices contain elements such as gold which is often mined using child labour, toxic elements such as arsenic, and rare elements such as indium – vital for touch screens because it conducts electricity and is transparent. Natural sources of six of the elements found in mobile phones are expected to run out within the next 100 years, sparking the need for habits to change.

Of those surveyed, 59 per cent said knowing about the crisis would make them more likely to recycle old devices.

Robert Parker, the RSC’s chief executive, said: ‘We need action now – from governments, manufacturers and retailers – to make reuse and recycling much easier, and we must enable a new generation of chemistry talent to help.

‘The UK has a tremendous opportunity to become a world leader in this and set an example for other nations to follow.’

Another reason for recycling is that unused devices often contain ‘conflict elements’ such as tin, gold, tungsten and tantalum, which are mined in areas where war and child labour are often a routine part of their mining.

Mr Parker said: ‘Chemical scientists are already working to find groundbreaking solutions – by investigating long-term substitutes for rare elements in devices, or by finding new chemical methods to extract precious materials and reuse them – but we all can and must do more.

‘As individuals, reuse and recycling are the best options available to us, but even if recycled it is still extremely difficult to recover some of these elements from unused devices.’