UK households bin 168m Christmas lights and ‘fast tech’ items a year | Environment

UK households threw away an estimated 168 million light-up Christmas items and other “fast tech” gifts last year, according to a study.

Research by the not-for-profit group Material Focus found that nearly £1.7 billion was spent on Christmas lighting last year, including 39 million fairy light sets.

Consumers also purchased 28 million light-up products such as wreaths, wreaths, stars and snow globes, as well as 23 million light-up figures and characters and 16 million pre-lit Christmas trees.

The research was based on information provided by 4,000 British adults who were asked how many cheap illuminated electrical items they had bought and how many they had thrown away. This was later extrapolated to the UK population; The figure of 168 million items sent to the trash was given.

Disposable technology is often powered by batteries, and if batteries are disposed of or recycled incorrectly, they can be crushed in garbage trucks and potentially lead to fires, the researchers said.

There were more than 1,200 battery fires in bins and waste centers in 2023-24; This was up 71% from the previous year. Many were the result of poor disposal practices.

A separate study found that 1.1 billion electrical devices and 450 million batteries are irresponsibly thrown away every year.

Scott Butler, managing director of Material Focus, said: “We understand ‘fast tech’ Christmas lights, gifts and the traditions around them, helping to make Christmas the most enjoyable time of the year for many. But as we approach the new year and the novelty wears off or the festive lights break down again, why not start 2026 by making your own positive impact?

“If they can’t be repaired, donated or sold, be sure to recycle them. Power tools with concealed batteries should always be recycled separately from household trash and recycling.”