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We uncover the invisible waste built into every stage of products’ lives and explore the opportunities to do more to protect our planet and strengthen the economy.
Scroll through to find out where all the waste is hiding.
Use: waste is everywhere
Throwaway culture and the accumulation of unused products mean countless resources are wasted daily.
The average car in England spends 23 out of every 24 hours parked.
One car sharing club vehicle removes the need for 24 private cars.
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880 million working electrical items sit unused in ‘drawers of doom’ in UK homes.
£36.7 billion worth of unused devices in UK homes could be sold on secondhand marketplaces.
Each year, the UK gets through more than three billion single use cups.
Reusable packaging is a global business opportunity worth more than US$10bn.
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Production: bad systems create waste
New unsold goods are thrown away before being used and inefficient manufacturing wastes materials.
Food wasted on UK farms could make 6.9 million meals a year.
Every £1 invested by businesses, including food manufacturers and retailers, in cutting food waste yields £14 in return.
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As much as 40% of clothing made is never sold or worn.
Selling or renting used clothes was worth £1.22 billion to the UK economy in 2023 and is expected to grow faster than new sales in future.
Design: poor practices make waste inevitable
Planned obsolescence and poor design standards limit the lifespans and efficiency of products, leading to public frustration and high costs.
65% of people are ‘often frustrated’ by products that break before they should.
New product specifications from 2021 mean some household white goods will now be repairable for up to ten years.
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Overspecification in construction leads to 25% more material being used than is necessary.
Better construction design can cut business costs by 13%, raising profits.
Extraction: waste is already there at the start
Mining and processing create vast amounts of waste. High raw material demand depletes natural resources and drives unethical practices.
6.5kg of ore is needed for the 75g of metal to make the typical smartphone.
There’s a 100x more gold in a tonne of e-waste than in a tonne of ore.
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Every tonne of aluminium produced creates over two tonnes of highly toxic waste.
New extraction methods mean old mining waste can be used as a source of critical metals like copper and nickel.
Demand: rapid product cycles drive the flow of waste
Business models based on pushing the latest products, from fashion to tech, feed an endless flow of waste through the economy.
Fashion seasons used to be two a year and are now up to 100.
Rental can generate up to 260% of a garment’s retail price in revenue.
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Apple releases new iPhone generations every 8.5 months on average, while Samsung releases five updated models a year.
Circular tech can end the rapid upgrade cycle. Fairphone expects its latest customisable, repairable phone to last ten years.
Find out more about why we are stuck with a system that creates too much waste, what innovative businesses are already doing to fix it and what policy makers can do to help.
This is produced by Green Alliance as part of a work programme for the Circular Economy Task Force, a policy focused business forum to promote ambitious ideas on the better management of resources. ‘The insights presented here are those of Green Alliance and do not necessarily reflect the views of the
Circular Economy Task Force members. Circular Economy Task Force members include:
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With support from:
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The Green Alliance Trust, 18th Floor, Millbank Tower, 21-24 Millbank, London SW1P 4QP
Email: communications@green-alliance.org.uk
Registered charity number 1045395 and company limited by guarantee (England & Wales) number 03037633