Brits said to bin gadgets worth £762m each year

People in the UK are throwing away old electrical items worth an estimated £762m every year, according to new research.

Despite the fact that the incomes of households across the country are being squeezed, an estimated 17 million broken or unwanted electrical products are ending up in the bin, even though they are still worth an average of more than £40 each.

Telecoms operator O2 has said that mobile phones, music players, satellite navigation devices, games consoles and digital cameras all find their way into landfill.

A report by The Independent newspaper however said projects such as mobile phone recycling schemes are springing up as consumers become more environmentally and financially aware.

Susanne Baker, senior policy advisor on climate change at EEF, the association representing British manufacturers, said there is growing demand from businesses for some of the material contained within these products.

She said: "Electronic equipment in particular is rich with materials which are in high demand but scarce supply. We know many manufacturers are worried about securing stable supplies of these materials at the right price," she said.