This week, just days ahead of Black Friday, a bright red garbage truck
rolled through some of the busiest shopping areas in London. Packed with
discarded electronics, the truck — emblazoned with the message, “Black Friday
is a load of rubbish” — stopped outside major retailers in areas including
Piccadilly Circus and Regent Street to remind holiday shoppers about the
mountains of tech waste created by the annual shopping frenzy.

The stunt is part of a campaign launched by
CeX
— the UK’s leading secondhand electronics retailer — after just-released
national research by the company revealed that Brits are set to spend over £3.5
billion on tech they don’t actually need during this year’s Black Friday sales.
The average shopper said they expect to splurge a whopping £202.11 on
electronics, with a total estimate of over £5 billion nationwide. Only a third
(30 percent) of respondents claim they ‘very much’ need the items they buy,
meaning only £1.5 billion (.07 percent) of the purchases are strictly necessary.

The campaign — created by London PR agency Here Be
Dragons — is the latest in a growing number of brand
efforts
to call attention to the environmental impact of overconsumption during Black
Friday and urges shoppers to make more mindful purchasing decisions. Along with
more conscious shopping
habits,
consumers must also become more aware of the impacts of the avalanche of returns
retailers inevitably contend with after the holidays — which creates its own
mountain of waste, leading to significant logistical, environmental and
economic
impacts.

“Black Friday is when people are often tempted by discounts, but it’s also an
opportunity to consider the impact of what we buy. Our research shows that much
of what’s bought ends up discarded within months, and over £3.5 billion worth of
unnecessary items are destined to gather dust,” a CeX spokesperson
said.
“That’s why we’ve introduced our five-year warranty and sent a rubbish lorry
through London — to help people make more mindful choices and keep their
purchases in use for longer.”

The survey, which polled over 2,000 UK adults, also discovered that almost half
(48 percent) of people in the UK said they wouldn’t consider buying secondhand
electronics — 47 percent of them are concerned about the quality of these
secondhand items, and 35 percent said they feel put off by limited warranties or
return policies. In response, CeX has introduced its industry-leading five-year
warranty, currently the longest offering on the market, to address these
concerns and provide shoppers with greater confidence in secondhand tech through
extended guarantees.

“There can be a worry attached to buying secondhand products — especially in
huge sales such as Black Friday,” the CeX spokesperson added. “We want to remind
people that there’s a smarter way to purchase by shopping around for quality,
secondhand tech that can save money, reduce waste and keep gadgets in use for
longer.”

Image credit: Little Black
Book

The other side of the red garbage truck carried the message: “Tech lasts longer
with CeX,” highlighting the value of secondhand electronics backed by CeX’s
5-year warranty and quality assurance. The brand’s call to action for shoppers
is clear: Choose tested and warrantied, high-quality secondhand gadgets to keep
functional devices in circulation and reduce waste — not just during the holiday
shopping frenzy, but year-round.

The research also revealed that a fifth (20 percent) of UK residents only use
their new tech for about four months after purchase, and over a third (35
percent) buy items just to stay up to date with the latest trends. And Black
Friday discounts appear to be a major driver of these habits — 45 percent of
British shoppers admitted they are motivated purely by the lower prices.

The poll also discovered that headphones (22 percent), laptops (20 percent),
smartwatches (19 percent), and mobile phones (18 percent) are among this year’s
most sought-after Black Friday purchases. Yet, with over half (57 percent) of
Brits admitting they have up to eight unused gadgets sitting at home, CeX is
urging consumers to make more conscious shopping and usage decisions and ensure technology stays in
use for as long as possible.

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Sustainable Brands Staff

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Published Nov 27, 2024 8am EST / 5am PST / 1pm GMT / 2pm CET