New research shows the UK’s consumption of small ‘FastTech’ electricals is becoming an issue set to outstrip Fast Fashion, in terms of the amount sent to landfill. ‘FastTech’ refers to everyday small electrical items, including headphones and cables as well as other items.
These items often have a short lifespan and cost, on average, £4. This means they can be viewed as ‘disposable’ (47% of us don’t expect cheaper electricals to last long), even when they’re not designed to be. This emerging issue is the tip of the iceberg of a bigger challenge of electrical waste in the UK, with the valuable materials contained inside these items - gold, aluminium, and lithium - lost forever when thrown away. Last year alone 26 million cables (enough to go round the earth five times) were purchased, and approximately 90% of these were thrown away. Astonishing stuff, right?!
Convenience at a cost
Purchasing these fast-tech items is all too convenient, with many retailers capitalising on the demand for affordable convenient products. We’ve all seen phone chargers, mouses, laptop leads and headphones in discount stores. Whilst they’re cheap, convenient and seem like a great deal, the lifespan of these products isn’t great, and concerns around quality and safety should be considered above price point. Let’s not forget about the amount that goes into landfill in a much shorter timeframe because they aren’t designed to last – being a conscious consumer is more important than ever.
Quality over quantity
If the average person buys two of these fast-tech products – let’s say I bought a phone charging lead for £2 and a pair of wireless headphones for a tenner, both of which I use between 2 and 5 times a week. The likelihood of them needing to be replaced within a year is fairly high because of the cost being so low, I assume the quality is reflected in that price. I’d also compromise on the quality – a tenner for tinny sounding music and crappy audio on calls – no thank you! So, I’d likely have to re-purchase again in the near future.
Whereas, if I was to buy replacement genuine Airpods and an Apple lead it may cost me more initially, but I know I’d get my moneys worth and reliability as well as a decent warranty to rely on if I did have any issues in the long term. From a personal perspective, I can’t justify saving a few quid to compromise on the quality of a product.
The same can be said for larger IT hardware products too. There are always cheaper deals to be had – customers want to spend as little as possible, and we get that. But in doing so, are there any compromises that come into play here too?
The invisible IT compromise
At Innov8, we specialise in IT infrastructure, and we always do our best to create the best solutions for our customers. Whether you need one laptop or 27 desktops, 11 laptops, 3 new headsets and 4 replacement laptop wires – we’ve got you. We might cost more than other IT partners and we definitely cost more than nipping into Poundland, but we give you more than just the kit you order.
A really simple example, if you buy direct and let’s say three of your laptops come to you damaged, you then have the headache of sending them back, waiting on replacements and potentially more added costs. If the same happens when you buy through Innov8, we’re right there to sort it all for you at no extra cost, as well as being there to get it all up and running for you initially to make sure everything is implemented smoothly. You get quality products and remove the invisible compromise of support and service by buying through us. Plus, we’re only ever a call away – our support team are on hand to help you through any hiccups going forward, and you don’t get that level of hands-on support through a hardware purchase alone.
And finally…
Yep, there is a cost-of-living crisis going on and we’re all feeling the pinch. But when it comes to any electrical purchase, whether it be new IT infrastructure or just a simple phone charging lead for personal use, take a second to think about the money you’re spending. Is it wise to habitually buy these disposable items when they’re not up to the job? Is it worth seeking out a cheaper deal at the expense of quality customer-centric support on hand long term? And do you want to make a conscious difference to help reducing these fast-tech products impacting the environment? Have a chat with us, we can’t give you fast-tech, but we can give you GREAT-tech!