Canadians are so eager to replace faulty electronics with newer products that about two-thirds of the electronics they throw away are still functional or easily repaired.
A study in the Journal of Cleaner Production by University of Waterloo researchers showed that 64 per cent of Canadians replace their electronics for reasons other than the device breaking down or being obsolete.
The results are based on a survey of Canadian households. Participants were asked about their replacement and disposal patterns for mobile phones, laptops and tablets, desktop computers, televisions, refrigerators, microwaves and laundry appliances. Participants self-reported when they purchased their devices, as well as when and why they were replaced or trashed.
Canadians use their mobile phones for an average of 4.5 years – longer than most other higher-income countries. The phones are typically replaced because they feel outdated, because of planned obsolescence that limits support, and because carrier plans encourage consumers to upgrade. The preference for buying new products and unwillingness or inability to repair, reuse or refurbish existing devices creates a gigantic amount of electronic waste.
“If we increased the lifetime of consumer electronics by repairing them, it would result in so many environmental benefits from lower production of new products, including less extraction of mineral resources and the resulting environmental impacts,” said report co-author Dr. Komal Habib, professor in the Faculty of Environment at Waterloo. Habib supported right-to-repair legislation to keep products in use longer by requiring manufacturers to provide repair tools, software and guidance to consumers and independent repair providers.
Earlier research from the authors estimated that Canada’s discarded electronic waste had tripled over the past two decades, rising to 25.3 kilograms per person in 2020 from 8.3 kg in 2000.
In addition, non-recycled electronic waste can include dangerous substances, which can damage the environment and add to human health risks.