Brits Dominate in Device Hoarding, But Americans Fail to Untap Billions In Lost Device Clutter
Approximately 88.5% of Americans and 88.6% of Brits are holding onto old electronics (9 out of 10 people)
The UK leads in device hoarding, with 80.5% keeping two or more old devices, slightly ahead of 80.2% of Americans.
A significant 78.6% of people in the UK and 76.3% in the US admit to hoarding unused smartphones (7 out of 10 people). Among them, 59.2% of Brits hoard several smartphones, while 54.9% of Americans do the same.
Unused technology in American homes totals around $67 billion, while the UK has about £11.5 billion.
The situation contributes to the growing e-waste problem, with an estimated 1.3 billion unused devices in the US and 299 million in the UK.
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- Introduction - Why is Device Hoarding A Transatlantic Problem?
- Key Findings
- Research Findings & Commentary
- Do people have unused electronic devices (working or broken condition) in their homes?
- How many unused electronic devices (working or broken condition) do people have in their home?
- Do people have old unused cell phones / smartphones in their home (working or broken condition)?
- How many old unused cell phones / smartphones do people have in their home (working or broken condition)?
- Have people ever recycled or sold a phone or electronic device?
- Who have people previously sold a phone or electronic device to?
- Why have people not sold / recycled a phone or electronic device?
- Forecast The National Device Hoarding Picture
- The Hidden Value of Your Old Tech: Insights from Our Survey
- Est. Value of Our Recycled Goods Based on Average Trade In Values in UK & US
- What Are Old Devices Worth?
- Summary & Methodology
Introduction – Why is Device Hoarding A Transatlantic Problem?
Keeping outdated devices at home may seem harmless, but it can lead to clutter, environmental risks, and wasted valuable materials. Additionally, old devices can pose security risks due to stored personal information not being removed by the user or a recycler. Instead of letting devices collect dust, selling these gadgets can yield financial rewards for the owner, but still many people leave technology stored away in garages, cellars and cupboards.
But how widespread is gadget hoarding? Are people in the US and UK facing the same challenges when it comes to holding onto old electronics? How can we find out?
SellCell.com and SellMobile.com conducted a study to assess how many people in the US and UK have old, unused electronic devices, including phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, gaming consoles and hometech stored at home. The survey aimed to uncover the reasons for keeping these items and individuals’ future plans for their unused electronics. Over 2,000 members of the general population (more than 1,000 from each country) were surveyed to identify which country faces a greater issue with outdated devices and the factors influencing recycling or selling old technology. The findings also forecast the likely size of the device hoarding problem in both countries.
Key Findings
- High Retention Rates: 88.5% of Americans and 88.6% of Brits keep outdated electronic devices, indicating a similar trend in both nations.
- Device Hoarding: 80.5% of UK residents and 80.2% of Americans admit to keeping two or more old devices. Notably, 9.4% more Americans have 2 to 4 devices than Brits, while nearly 10% more Brits hoard between 5 and 10.
- Smartphone Hoarding: 78.6% of Brits and 76.3% of Americans report hoarding unused smartphones, with 59.2% of Brits keeping multiple smartphones compared to 54.9% of Americans.
- Recycling and Selling Rates: About 50% of respondents in both countries have sold or recycled old devices, with the UK slightly ahead at 0.6%. A surprising 46.3% of Americans and 45.7% of Brits confess they’ve never recycled an old phone or electronic gadget.
- Recycling Methods: Many UK residents recycle or sell through online trade-in sites (38.6%), while US users often trade in with mobile carriers (24.2%).
- Barriers to Recycling: The main reasons for not recycling include the belief that devices are too old (73.5% think they have no value) and concerns about data security (66.1%).
- Unused Devices: There may be as many as 1.3 billion unused devices in US homes and 299 million in the UK, contributing to significant e-waste issues.
- Household Data: Approximately 116.3 million US households and 25.2 million UK households may have unused electronic devices stored away.
- Financial Impact: Americans may have around $67 billion in unused electronics, while the UK holds about £11.5 billion.
Research Findings & Commentary
Q1: Do you have unused electronic devices (working or broken condition) in your home that you no longer use? (Electronic devices can include cell phones, tablets, smartwatches, laptops, PCs, wireless headphones, smarthome tech, e-readers & games consoles)
| US | UK | |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 88.5% | 88.6% |
| No | 11.5% | 11.4% |
- 88.5% of people in the US and 88.6% people in the UK are holding onto old, unused, redundant electronic devices. This is a worrying and incredibly high statistic, with similar results in both countries.
Q2: How many electronic devices (working or broken condition) do you have in your home that you no longer use? (Electronic devices can include cell phones, tablets, smartwatches, laptops, PCs, wireless headphones, smarthome tech, e-readers & games consoles)
| US | UK | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8.3% | 8.2% |
| 2 | 17.2% | 13.9% |
| 3 | 16.6% | 13.3% |
| 4 | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 5 | 9.8% | 12.2% |
| 6 | 5.7% | 6.4% |
| 7 | 1.8% | 4.7% |
| 8 | 2.5% | 3.0% |
| 9 | 1.8% | 1.7% |
| 10+ | 10.6% | 13.9% |
| None | 11.5% | 11.4% |
- The UK appears to be the worst offender for hoarding multiple devices (2 or more) with 80.5% of people stating that they are holding onto 2 or more old, unused electronics. Conversely, 80.2% of Amercians are holding onto 2+ devices, 0.3% less. Overall though, a very similar figure.
- Those living in the US, are worse for holding onto 2 – 4 devices, whilst folks in the UK are by far the worst multi tech storers, with nearly 10% (9.7%) more Brits holding onto 5 – 10 devices per household.
- Interestingly 11.5% of Americans and 11.4% of Brits do not hold onto any unused electronic devices.
Q3: Do you have old cell phones / smartphones in your home that you no longer use (working or broken condition)?
| US | UK | |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 76.3% | 78.6% |
| No | 23.7% | 21.4% |
- When it comes to smartphone hoarding both Brits and Americans admit to holding onto a mountainous National amount of old, unused phones (78.6% of Brits & 76.3% of Americans)
- 23.7% of Americans and 21.4% of Brits do not keep a second unused smartphone at home
Q4: How many old cell phones / smartphones do you have in your home that you no longer use (working or broken condition)?
| US | UK | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21.4% | 19.5% |
| 2 | 24.4% | 22.8% |
| 3 | 11.8% | 11.7% |
| 4 | 8.5% | 10.0% |
| 5 | 4.2% | 4.3% |
| 6 | 1.9% | 4.5% |
| 7 | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| 8 | 0.9% | 1.4% |
| 9 | 0.2% | 0.7% |
| 10+ | 2.0% | 2.7% |
| None | 23.7% | 21.4% |
- 2% (1.9%) more Amercians admit to hanging onto one unused device than Brits.
- Brits are the biggest multiple smartphone hoarders with 4.3% more Brits (59.2%) admitting to keeping multiple devices (2 to 10+) at home vs 54.9% for Americans
Q5: Have you ever recycled or sold a phone or electronic device?
| US | UK | |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 53.7% | 54.3% |
| No | 46.3% | 45.7% |
- Only around half of the US and UK population admit to ever selling or recycling an old phone or electronic device.
- The UK is slightly better at recycling than the US for this with 0.6% more admitting to have sold / recycled e-waste.
- 46.3% of Americans and 45.7% of Brits admit to NEVER recycling an old phone or electronic device
Q6: If yes, who have you previously sold a phone or electronic device to? (Please select all that apply)
| US | UK | |
|---|---|---|
| Online trade-in website | 16.0% | 38.6% |
| Mobile Network / Carrier | 24.2% | 11.8% |
| Phone manufacturer (Apple / Samsung / Google etc) | 18.8% | 14.3% |
| Local phone shop | 22.7% | 14.7% |
| Phone trade-in ATM machine | 10.1% | 2.0% |
| Marketplace eg. Ebay, Criaglist, Facebook, etc. | 18.8% | 21.5% |
| Sold to friend or family | 31.1% | 27.2% |
| Other | 4.5% | 5.3% |
- Interestingly, out of the respondents who stated that they had recycled / sold a device before in the UK the most people (38.6%) have sold their old device through an online trade-in website like SellCell.com and SellMobile.com.
- In the US, mobile carriers seem to be a very popular option with 24.2% of Americans opting to trade in with Verizon, T-Mobile or AT&T.
- Across both counties selling a phone to a family member or friend also seems to be a very popular option with 31.1% of Americans having admitted to doing that and 27.2% of Brits.
Q7: If no, why have you not sold / recycled a phone or electronic device? (Please select up to 3 answers)
| US | UK | |
|---|---|---|
| I haven’t got the time to do it | 11.2% | 9.4% |
| I intend to but haven’t got round to it | 15.6% | 18.2% |
| I don’t know where to sell / recycle them | 29.8% | 26.0% |
| I am concerned about the data on them | 32.6% | 33.5% |
| I have kept them as a spare device | 18.4% | 21.7% |
| I gave them to family / friends | 12.3% | 14.0% |
| The devices are locked (eg. iCloud locked, password locked, etc.) | 6.3% | 4.2% |
| My devices are too old / worthless | 37.1% | 36.3% |
| My devices are broken | 17.5% | 14.2% |
| Other | 3.7% | 1.1% |
- By far the biggest reason respondents are not recycling / selling old devices is that 73.5% of both Brits and Americans deem the devices too old or worthless (37.1% US / 36.3% UK)
- This is followed by 66.1% of Brits and Americans (32.6% US / 33.5% UK) that refuse to sell the devices as they are worried about the data left on them. Data is something that all reputable buyback companies will remove when they receive an old device anyhow.
- A huge 55.8% of people simply do not know where to sell / recycle the devices (29.8% US / 26.0% UK)
- 40% of Brits and Americans have kept their old devices as a spare device.
How Can we Use This Data to Forecast The National Electronics Hoarding Picture
Est. Total Number of Unused & UnRecycled Electronic Devices in UK & US
Based on our survey we have estimated the total number of unused electronic devices in the US and UK
- Based on the answers in the surveys there could be up to 1.3 billion unused devices lying around homes in the US and 299 million devices not recycled in the UK, creating a mass e-waste problem. This is compared to most up to date population figures.
Est. Total Number of Unused & UnRecycled Phones in UK & US
Based on our survey we have estimated the total number of unused cell phones in the US and UK
- Based on the answers in the surveys there could be up to 719.5 million unused cell phones / smartphones lying around homes in the US and 166.9 million phones hoarded in UK homes. This is compared and modelled to the most up to date population figures.
Est. Total Number of Unused & UnRecycled Electronic Devices in UK & US Households
Based on our survey we have estimated the total number of households with unused electronic devices in the US and UK
- Based on the answers in the surveys amplified with the general population there could be up to 116.3 million households hoarding unused electronic devices in the US and 25.2 million hoarding households in the UK.
Est. Total Number of Unused & UnRecycled Phones in UK & US Households
Based on our survey we have estimated the total number of households with unused cell phones in the US and UK
- Forecasters suggest that when you amplify the survey results across the general populous of the UK and US there could be up to 100.3 million households sitting on unused cell phones / smartphones in the US and 22.4 million hoarding households in the UK.
The Hidden Value of Your Old Tech: Insights from Our Survey
Est. Value of Our Recycled Goods Based on Average Trade In Values in UK & US
In today’s tech-driven world, many people upgrade their devices frequently. However, our recent survey revealed that a significant number of individuals are holding onto their old gadgets instead of selling or recycling them. Specifically, 9 out of 10 respondents in both the UK and the US reported stashing away old tech, with 7 out of 10 keeping one to ten unused smartphones.
What Are Old Devices Worth?
The potential trade-in value of old smartphones can be surprising. For instance, an iPhone 15 Pro Max can be valued at up to $863, while a Samsung S24 Ultra might reach around $680 with SellCell. The actual value of a device depends on several factors:
- Device Type: Different brands and models have varying market values.
- Condition: Devices in “like new” condition will generally fetch more than those in “poor” condition.
- Age: Older models typically have lower resale values.
- Duration of Storage: The longer a device remains unused, the more its value can decline.
- Lock Status: Devices that are carrier-locked or have security locks may be less valuable.
After reviewing several years of data, our experts found that the resale value of old tech typically ranges from $20 to $500, depending on factors such as type, age, capacity, and condition. While selling devices sooner could yield higher returns, our survey takes a balanced approach. We estimate an average resale value of about $50 per device across various categories, including phones, tablets, earphones, gaming consoles, e-readers, and wearables.
This average accounts for the mix of newer devices, which tend to be worth more, and older, obsolete models, which have much lower values.
Untapped Value
Calculating this average across the vast number of devices stored in homes reveals staggering potential value. In the US, with approximately 1.3 billion devices sitting idle, the untapped tech value could reach as much as $67 billion. In the UK, with around 299 million devices, the potential value stands at approximately £11.5 billion.
Broader Implications
Overall, these findings highlight the significant value of old technology. Encouraging timely selling or recycling of devices could not only unlock financial benefits for individuals but also contribute to more sustainable practices in the tech industry. For those with old devices collecting dust, exploring their potential value could be a worthwhile endeavor
Summary & Methodology
SellCell.com and SellMobile.com conducted an online survey (wc 14th October 2024) to evaluate the prevalence of old, unused electronic devices in the UK and US. Over 2,000 general population were surveyed to understand the reasons for keeping these items and future plans for them. Key findings revealed that 88.5% of Americans and 88.6% of Brits retain outdated devices.
While 80.5% of UK residents and 80.2% of Americans keep two or more devices, the UK shows a higher tendency to hoard between 5 and 10. A significant number of respondents admit to hoarding unused smartphones (78.6% in the UK, 76.3% in the US), with about 50% having sold or recycled devices.
Barriers to recycling include perceptions of low value and data security concerns. The study estimates 1.3 billion unused devices in US homes and 299 million in the UK, leading to considerable e-waste. Financially, Americans may have up to $67 billion in unused electronics, while the UK holds around £11.5 billion