Back cover photography by: Georgia Maisey, Alicia Bailey, Joni Sawyers
What’s the Hubbub around e-waste?
Virgin Media O2: Creating a sustainable future
Time After Time: Our work in 2024
Why does e-waste matter to young people?
01. Consumption and dependency
What is e-waste about?
And just on vapes...
02. My treasure is not your trash
All the precious metals
What we don’t talk about when we talk about inequality and e-waste
Who produces the most e-waste
03. A scratch, a drop, a crack
What happens at the end of life of electronics
When e-waste management happens properly
Where does global e-waste go?
What happens when e-waste isn’t handled properly?
Cover photography by: Danielle Snape, Eve Chadderton, Ella Malley, Aimee Cochrane, Hannah Bate
What’s the hubbub around e-waste?
We are living through a technological revolution, every new item seems to contain a chip or a battery to make noise, light up or connect us to the internet. Hundreds of millions of electronic items are sold globally each year. But what happens when these items break, when they no longer receive updates or we no longer need them? They become e-waste, the fastest growing type of waste in the world.
Here’s one example, 5.3 billion smartphones are expected to be discarded this year across the world. And the UK has a big part to play: as a nation we’re on track to produce more e-waste per person than any other country (currently the UK is second to only Norway).
Vast amounts of the electricals and devices we buy go to landfill, so we lose the chance to reuse those items or to recoup the valuable metals inside them through recycling. One in five of us in the UK don’t know that smartphones can be recycled (Hubbub, 2023) and even less know about the critical materials like lithium and cobalt inside our phones that are key to building an energy system less reliant on fossil fuels.
Our Time After Time E-waste Report 2023 found that young people feel strongly that more needs to be done to raise awareness of e-waste. Young people are willing to adopt sustainable behaviour when presented with ways to act and make changes. As one young person we spoke to said, “How are we supposed to know about it if we aren’t told?”
So Hubbub is working with Virgin Media O2 to design learning opportunities for Gen-Z. We have used hackathons and challenges to help over 230 students and young people explore the facts of the e-waste problem, develop their emotive and creative responses to the environmental and social impacts, and imagine collaborative solutions that strengthen the circular economy.
We hope you enjoy reading the User/Used: A Gen-Z dive into e-waste e-zine as much as we have enjoyed working with the young people who have filled it with their ideas and creativity.
Holly Smith, Creative Partner, Hubbub
VIRGIN MEDIA O2: Creating a sustainable future
E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world. In 2022, an estimated 62 million tonnes of e-waste were produced globally, with only 22.3% documented as formally collected and recycled1. This not only leads to the loss of valuable materials like gold, copper, and silver but also contributes to environmental degradation and health problems due to the hazardous substances contained in these devices.
Virgin Media O2 recognises its responsibility in addressing the e-waste crisis. We are working towards becoming a more circular business that prioritises reuse and recycling of electronic equipment. We have set a target to enable consumers to undertake 10 million circular actions by either recycling or repairing their tech or purchasing refurbished devices rather than new.
Virgin Media O2 have stepped up the fight against e-waste with bold initiatives like the ‘Time After Time’ fund, launched in partnership with environmental charity Hubbub. With £1,000,000 backing innovative projects across the country that give unwanted tech a second life and help communities in need get online.
We’ve also teamed up with Hubbub to engage university students and drive awareness through impactful behavioural change campaigns. Engaging young people is central to our strategy. Our approach ensures that young people are active stakeholders in creating a sustainable future, leveraging their creativity and commitment to drive meaningful change.
Nikhinder Rai Environmental Sustainability Manager, VMO2
Our work in 2024
LSSC E-Waste Ideathon 10 June 2024
Rhyme and Recycle e-waste poetry challenge November 2024
186 young people from 13 universities created work exploring tech production, consumerism, extending the lifespans of products and raising awareness of ways to reduce e-waste.
MMU Photography CoLabs, 6 Dec 2024
So what is this e-zine?
We compiled students’ works from the Photography Colabs with MMU and the Rhyme and Recycle poetry challenge, to spark conversations between Gen-Z around the lifecycle of the tech we own.
Why does e-waste matter to young people?
Gen-Z may have trouble connecting with or understanding e-waste because there is a huge lack awareness around the issue. I have to admit, I only learned about e-waste thanks to the Hackathon advertisement, where I first heard about it. E-waste definitely feels like an issue that is not being as pushed or shared at the forefront, such as climate change or plastic pollution for example. We are also a generation both obsessed and consumed by consumerism, so that also conflicts in a way as well.
The e-waste issue is important, particularly for your people particularly due to the long-term consequences and impact this will have on the environment in a similar way climate change and plastic has had. We will also be the ones causing the issue as we have grown up with the most technology and electronic gadgets. As we learned and discussed during the Hackathon, E-waste often contains harmful materials such as lead and mercury, which when released into the environment, will do damage to its well-being.
In the future, it would be nice to see more people recycling, learning about e-waste, its process and how it helps tackle environmental issues. Furthermore, both consumer awareness in terms of people knowing that they do not always have to update their devices as soon as they are released and just understanding the importance of responsible e-waste, through making the recycling process easier or offering trade-in programmes for people as an incentive. Companies should have more of a legal responsibility for their products to be recycled whether that is through ensuring a longer usage life and making sure that their products can be recycled and reused easily.
Pod Rescuers
The winning team of London E-waste Hackathon 2024
Zachary Omitowoju ( University of Westminster), Reddwan Jahir (King’s College London), Muhammad Usman Saeed (University of Westminster), Shirin Alam (City St Georges, University of London), Lidia Soltys (University of Westminster), Zuhaib Aftab (City St Georges, University of London), Xiaoyu Pu (University of Kingston)
01 Consumption and dependency
What is e-waste about?
Electrical waste, known as e-waste or WEEE, is anything that uses a plug, battery or cable to power a circuit.
It is the fastest growing type of waste in the world, and the UK is the second largest producer of e-waste per person in the world.
How much waste are we thinking?
In 2022, 62 million tonnes of e-waste was produced globally, up from 53.6 million tonnes in 2019. (That’s 4,500 Eiffel towers!)
Source: The Global E-waste Monitor 2024, by UNITAR
Control
by Fan Wu
Two boys are fighting, A circle is formed,
As each person tries to find a good position,
To record the fight, To post it online.
A child is crying on the bus, Passengers look up, The mother hands over her phone, The child becomes quiet, Passengers look down. The store is crowded, The woman takes her phone, Taps it against the machine, Transaction approved, No receipt.
The student sits in his class, Overcome with boredom, He looks at his lap,
A blueish light glowing on his face, Phone confiscated.
Unfamiliar streets, Unknown buildings, The couple looks for directions, Lost, navigation app open.
Lying in bed, Lying on the couch, Online shopping, Delivery, No need to step out.
TV advertisements, New phone model released, Better, faster, bigger, Out with the old, In with the new.
Are you really in control?
Photography by: Eve Clarke, Evie Robinson, Georgia Thomas, Laura Rooney-Harbottl, Millie Mason
Did you know?
Batteries have shrunk in size, so many items we wouldn’t consider e-waste before technically count as electrical, for example, disposable vapes, novelty Christmas jumpers, or sex toys.
Isolated vape photos by: Alex Hall, Bailey Lutta, Tom Hardy, Naruethai Jingnaga
And just on vapes...
An estimated 8.2 million vapes are thrown away every week or recycled incorrectly. That’s 13 vapes per second!
There was enough lithium inside the vapes thrown away in 2024 to power 10,127 electric car batteries.
More people are recycling their single-use vapes, but much more easily accessible recycling options need to be in place.
The good news is... single-use vapes are going to be banned in 2025!
1 in 3 Gen-Z don’t know smart phones contain precious metals. In fact, a smart phone will contain at least 30 different elements from the periodic table drawn from across the world, for example copper and gold.
If we look more closely, the effort to produce one piece of metal inside our electronics is so big only to be used for short period of time.
There is more gold in one tonne of smart phones than there is in a tonne of gold ore.
Source: Your old phone is full of precious metals, BBC
Forgotten Hands
by Isabella Pazmino-Schell
Hidden in circuits, metal veins pulse, the heartbeat of faraway lands, of dust and sweat, forgotten hands mold metal, a silent force, fingers trace parts we will never meet, never know.
Each screen a window into hidden lives, built on backs bent low, where no sunlight arrives, for what? A moment’s flicker, a passing scroll, while mountains and rivers pay their toll.
Rare earth pulled from the earth’s own veins, buried in landfills to rust and decay, a cycle of waste in forgotten hands’ wake, as new gadgets shine and the old ones fade.
And when we hold that cold glass glow, do we hear the whispers deep below?
Hands that made, hands that bore, now silent, erased, beneath earth’s floor
Photography by: Ace Anderson
What we don’t talk about when we talk about inequality and e-waste
How and where were the precious metals produced?
The materials that go into manufacturing tech are mined from across the world, and many resources come from the global south where guarantees for human and environmental safety are not as strong.
Lithium mining is a waterintensive process that pumps saltwater to the surface. Water is evaporated to extract the lithium and other minerals. Unfortunately, the remaining toxic metals exposed can contaminate water sources, threatening humans and animal biodiversity, coming under fire in countries such as Chile and Argentina for harming local farming communities.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) produces 70% of the world’s cobalt. Cobalt has been linked to human rights abuses and unsafe working conditions. There are adverse health effects for the miners and those living close to mining sites with highest levels of heavy metals ever discovered in the blood of mining communities.
Source: The Lancet Planetary Health, 2020
PERU
CHILE
MEXICO
Time After Time
Cobalt Tantalum Tantalum
CHINA
SOUTH AFRICA
BRAZIL
INDONESIA
AUSTRALIA
PHILIPPINES
RUSSIA
Who produces the most e-waste?
By raw volume, Asia is the largest producer of e-waste in the world, generating 49% of the world’s e-waste. However, Asia is home to 60% of the world’s population.
Number of e-waste produced by region
A fairer view would be to look at e-waste produced per person. A person in Europe, Oceania, and Americas produce much more e-waste than the global average.
Source: The Global E-waste Monitor, 2024, by UNITAR
Photography by: Bill Fantozzi, Thomas Holloway, Cain Newell, Archie Elliott, James Keith, Marcus Grange, Benjamin Hutty
You carefully peel that plastic casing I sit here and watch a discarded waste-thing Ecstatic, your cheeks a pale flush of pride You pull open the lid and stare, eyes wide Smile fixed reflected on my replacement, You tentatively pull it out of its encasement.
Bright pink, I see you, you want to stand out, When you hold it up high, flaunt it about. I could have been bright pink, don’t you remember The fluffy unicorn case of September Or the blue dolphin sea theme of July, You showed me off too, held me to the sky.
Once I was glued to you, an extra appendage, Nestled in your back pocket, safely I lived. Remember the panic we faced, when you would lose me Face down on some shelf, I cried for you too, see You asked mum to call me, I let out a shout When you found me again, we let our panic out, A laugh, a giggle, you light up my screen On your face I cast a blue colored beam.
But now I sit discarded, reminiscing on past days I still work, I have battery, storage and games
My youth will go wasted, only 2 I’m approaching How many new features has your new plaything? You stacked me on top of another device, Smaller and square, did it not suffice Maybe I was this one’s replacement, Surrounded by white boxes, an orderly placement
A graveyard of the living, the wasted, the surpassed Is all we are bent metal, toughened glass?
Now my battery is decreasing
My existence, how fleeting! Power down, I go to sleep Goodnight, human sheep.
Did you know?
A high income household has 1.6 laptops per person, in a low income country there is 1 laptop for every 10 people.
In high income countries there is an average of 108 electrical items per person, compared to 4 in a low income country.
Global e-waste management prevents 93 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions by correctly managing refrigerants in fridges and freezers (41 million tonnes) and through the lower greenhouse gas emissions obtained by recycling metals versus mining (52 million tonnes).
Source: The Global E-waste Monitor 2024, by UNITAR
Photography by: Lauren Naysmith, Mia Uddin-Speight, Luke McVeigh, Phillia Kerlit, William Raybould
An iPhone a year, well that’s really quite dear. To pay a price, for a programmed device, That will slow down intentionally, When you try to keep it going, ‘Til eventually…
A slip, a scratch, a drop, a crack. I refuse, I want my money back.
A repair I declare, not a burden to bear. Quick fix, filtered pic, Insta tick, think I’m slick. The damage is done, Threw it away, a hit and run.
Phones in the bin, no next of kin. It ain’t a sin, but it ain’t a win.
Could think deeper, than to get a contract cheaper. Might keep it runnin’. Nah, it’ll start buggin’. Should consider something old, something new, Something borrowed, something blue. It’s like I’m married to this ‘easy exit’ point of view.
Taking up space, when it should make haste.
In a random drawer, not just mess but so much more. The value it holds, no one’s been told, “You could, have you considered, getting it sold?” Second hand, to spare the land, Since we can’t get it banned, do something grand…
“Scrolled for good, I knew you would Made a plan, I’m a fan
To think about where I will go next.”
This phone of mine is more than second best. A friend, a foe, there when I’m up and I’m low. But where will you go, if I make no effort to know?
Source:
Photography by: Maddy Taylor, Emma Reeks, Charlie Lyons, Nikola Ruszkowska
Here’s an example of e-waste management in 2022:
of the 62 million tonnes kg e-waste in 2022, was managed outside formal collection and recycling schemes.
was documented as formally collected and recycled in an environmentally sound manner.
was estimated to be disposed of as residual waste, the majority of which is landfilled globally.
was estimated to be collected and recycled outside of formal systems in high- and upper-middle-income countries with developed e-waste management infrastructure.
was estimated to be handled in low- and lower-middle-income countries with no developed e-waste management infrastructure, mostly by the informal sector.
45,000 tonnes of plastics containing brominated flame retardants
58 tonnes of mercury
Released to the environment and impacting people’s health directly and severely.
The Global E-waste Monitor 2024, by UNITAR
Impact of poor e-waste management
Without proper waste management, we lose resources— extracting virgin materials is already expensive, polluting, harmful. E-waste not recycled properly is also hazardous—mercury, lithium, CFCs.
Informal and improper e-waste handling has harmful health effects. E.g. heavy metals effect the development of children in particular.
In 2019 the global economy recouped 10 billion USD of materials through e-waste recycling, but in 2022 the total amount that could have been recouped if e-waste was properly recycled was 91 billion USD.
By 2050, we can obtain 40 per cent of our demand for scarce earth metals from old smartphones, batteries, and wind turbines. This is crucial because otherwise, we may not have enough to accomplish the energy transition.”
Source: Universiteit Leiden, 2024
Even more complex...
Globally, the exportation of e-waste countries remains a major problem. can ship their hazardous e-waste countries in Asia and Africa for process the waste and lack of regulations. Human health and threatened in areas without and proper handling guidelines.
e-waste to developing problem. The first world e-waste to developing for cheap labour to of environmental and ecological safety are adequate precaution guidelines.
Investigators at the UN have found that some containers and shipments never even make it to land.
When ships carrying hazardous waste like e-waste cannot easily offload them in their usual destination, they turn their beacon off when they are in the middle of the sea so they cannot be detected. The illegal shipment is dumped at sea as part of a business model of organised crime activity.”
Photography by: Eve Clarke, Evie Robinson, Georgia Thomas, Millie Mason, Laura Rooney-Harbottl
Source: Burning old TVs to survive: The toxic trade in electrical waste, BBC.
Photography by: Bill Fantozzi, Thomas Holloway, Cain Newell, Archie Elliott, James Keith, Marcus Grange, Benjamin Hutty
Is recycling all we can do?
Recycling is pretty much the last resort what it comes to e-waste. There’s plenty we can do before recycling to reduce the amount of e-waste in the world.
Reduce
We can prevent e-waste by reducing the amount of electricals we buy in the first place. Do you need it?
Reuse
Keep what you have for longer.
Refurbish
If you need to buy something, can you get it refurbished and secondhand?
Rehome and resell
Have working tech and electricals that you no longer need? Don’t let them sit at home unused, you can sell them on so they have a second life.
Rethink ownership
There are different ways to get hold of items you need without buying, for example, rentals or borrowing, because sharing is caring.
Repair
Sometimes even small fixes can bring something back to life, rather than replacing the whole lot. Repairing a smashed screen should always be cheaper than buying a new phone.
Recycle
For electricals that are too old and too broken, they’re still full of valuable and rare elements that we should do our best to capture and use to make new tech.
Photography by: Rianna Ramowski, Faith Stone, Claudia Michie, Isobelle Sykes, Anna Marsden, Bee Jones
The Brand-New MegaSong Pro
by Joshua Evans
I became whatever I am
In a congested factory, With a touch screen, a camera and a brand-new battery, I was displayed on a high shelf in a tight box I was enclosed, Days, weeks, months of waiting Then one day a hopeful hand rose,
The others were the same as I Nothing was special about me. Just a touch screen, a camera and a brand-new battery. Trapped in a box with emptiness I slowly submitted defeat. Then: a SIM card; a purpose I began to feel complete
He handled me with care I was beside him like a friend
This life could never last forever but I decided to pretend. I buzzed in his pocket often I was with him on every trip Though he often held me loosely. All it took was one slight slip.
My screen reflected dismay, Revealing the future was bleak. A scratch made; a crack confirmed, I knew I’d passed my peak. But I meant so much to him, My injury caused him despair. But I meant so little to him, No effort was made to repair.
But life was still good: fulfilling, Until I fell again: a quick nudge. Sharp rocks pierced my camera, Shattering the perfect image. Now I’m shelved and out of sight. Knowing I will always just be: A cracked screen, a broken camera, And an underused battery.
Echoes in the Palm
by Juliet Ange
It’s quick to rust, outgrow, And start to feel like a burden, An assignment we toss away, But it fits like a promise, close as skin.
Upgrades are in demand with their polished guard.
Secret keeper, global connection, However, models are dumped Into mountains of metal, cold as frost, And time passes quickly. Their worth is greater than that of electronics.
In order to demonstrate our concern, let’s slow down, Revalue, repair, and unplug when necessary. Every play is a retelling of a tale, And old screens serve as frames for our memories.
Photography by: Kitti Fulop, Ffion Grace, Will Gravenall, Josh Gutoman
Revalue, repair and unplug
Your old tech has value, whether passing your unused devices to family or friends, or selling it on, or in the materials it contains. The longer we hold onto devices, the less value they have for resale and future for reuse. The time to act on e-waste is now.
Legally, sellers of electronics must also provide a take-back service to collect old electronics for recycling. This is in the WEEE Regulations and covers all electronics, including vapes.
Want to find where to sell, repair, donate or recycle?
Visit what to do with your e-waste to find out how and where to take these actions near you.
Want to see more like this?
Visit our Time after Time campaign page to see what else we’ve been up to and donate an old phone with Community Calling.
Thanks to...
Our expert judges who helped evaluate and feedback to the students:
• Nikhinder Rai, Virgin Media O2, Environment Manager
• Len Grant, urban sketcher, artist, writer, and local storyteller
• Holly Smith, Creative Partner, Hubbub
• Alistair Johnstone Hack, Sustainability Photographer at Climate Outreach
• Declan Talbert, UX designer UKTV
• Paul Morgan, Recycling For Greater Manchester
And all our university and education partners in all Hackathons
Photography Co-Labs
• Siân Macfarlane, Senior Lecturer, School of Digital Arts at Manchester Metropolitan University
• Dr Helen McGhie, Senior Lecturer, School of Digital Arts at Manchester Metropolitan University
• Martin Bence, Lecturer, School of Digital Arts at Manchester Metropolitan University
• Tristan Poyser, Lecturer, School of Digital Arts at Manchester Metropolitan University
