An estimated 4.3 million mini-fans are likely to be thrown away in household rubbish bins this year, according to new research from Material Focus. The latest surge mirrors a trend seen in July 2025, when demand for portable fans rose sharply during periods of hot weather.

The organisation said demand for the portable cooling devices has increased sharply during this summer's hot weather, with around 7.9 million mini-fans expected to be bought across the UK in 2026.

Material Focus said the figures illustrate the rise of so-called "FastTech" products – inexpensive electrical items designed for convenience, including mini-fans, charging cables, earbuds and novelty gadgets, which are often discarded after limited use or left unused in homes.

What is "FastTech"? FastTech refers to inexpensive, mass-produced electronic gadgets with short lifespans that consumers often treat as disposable and discard after minimal use.

Scott Butler, Executive Director of Material Focus, said: "Mini-fans, one of the poster children of FastTech, first appeared en masse last year and more are surging onto the market during this heatwave, helping us deal with this extreme heat.

"However, as quickly as they are bought, many are thrown away or lie forgotten at the bottom of our drawers of doom."

The not-for-profit said online interest in mini-fans rose significantly during June's heatwave, with Google searches for the products more than twice as high as in the previous month.

Although the devices have become increasingly popular during spells of hot weather, Material Focus warned that they are frequently disposed of incorrectly despite containing materials that can be recovered and reused, including copper, lithium and small quantities of gold.

If mini-fans are placed in general household waste, those resources are lost when the products are sent for disposal through landfill or energy recovery rather than being recycled.

Butler added: "What we should do instead is make sure if it doesn't work anymore we safely recycle it.

"Search up recycle your electricals to find your nearest recycling point."

There are approximately 30,000 locations across the UK where small electrical items can be recycled, including household waste recycling centres, participating supermarkets and electrical retailers.

The organisation is encouraging people to recycle unwanted mini-fans through these collection points rather than disposing of them in their household waste.

The Welsh Government has brought forward new legislation that would require workplaces across Wales to separately collect small waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) for recycling from April 2026.

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, confirmed that the Waste Separation Requirements (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 have now been laid before the Senedd, describing the move as the next stage in the country’s workplace recycling reforms.

If approved by Members of the Senedd, the new requirements would take effect from 6 April 2026.

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Expanded Requirements For Electrical Waste

The proposed Regulations would extend existing obligations on non-domestic premises, requiring all small electrical and electronic waste to be presented separately for collection. Currently, only unsold electrical items must be separated.

The changes amend the Waste Separation Requirements (Wales) Regulations 2023 and would place new duties across the waste chain, including:

• Requiring workplaces to segregate sWEEE from other waste streams
• Ensuring waste collectors gather sWEEE separately from other recyclables and residual waste
• Requiring operators handling collected materials to keep sWEEE separate and uncontaminated

The Welsh Government said the updated approach is designed to improve both the volume and quality of materials captured for recycling, helping to recover valuable resources that are often lost when small electrical items are disposed of incorrectly.

Alongside the legislative changes, a revised draft Code of Practice for the Separate Collection of Waste Materials for Recycling has also been laid, reflecting the proposed new requirements for sWEEE.

Once the Regulations are formally made, the final version of the Code of Practice will be published and presented to the Senedd.

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Environmental And Economic Benefits

The Welsh Government estimates that the new measures will deliver substantial environmental and economic gains over the next decade.

Over a 10-year period, the Regulations are expected to cut carbon emissions by 7,437 tonnes and increase recycling volumes by 37,757 tonnes.

Additional benefits are anticipated across the waste and recycling sector, including the creation of around 90 new jobs.

The sWEEE reforms form part of the Welsh Government’s wider Programme for Government commitment to developing a “stronger, greener economy” while addressing the climate and nature emergency.

Irranca-Davies said the proposals represent “significant progress” in improving how workplaces manage waste and in recovering valuable materials from the waste stream.

A national communications campaign is already underway to help businesses and organisations prepare ahead of the proposed April 2026 implementation date.

Online marketplaces are now legally required to report all household electrical goods sold by non-UK suppliers under updated Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations.

The new rules, which passed in June as a Statutory Instrument and came into effect on 12 August 2025, also mean that platforms will now share the responsibility for funding recycling.

Their contribution will be phased in, with partial costs starting in 2026 and full costs applying from 2027.

Until now, UK retailers and manufacturers have carried the full cost of recycling discarded electronics.

Defra confirmed that the reforms will ensure that “manufacturers and importers do not unduly bear the cost burden of managing waste they did not create – making the system fairer for British businesses”.

Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh added: “We are committed to moving towards a circular economy in which we keep electricals from laptops to toasters in use for longer".

“Ensuring online marketplaces pay their share for managing the cost of the electrical waste they generate will increase recycling and level the playing field for UK-based retailers.”

Vapes Recognised As A New WEEE Category

The reforms also introduce a dedicated WEEE category for vapes, ensuring producers fund their collection and proper treatment.

Scott Butler, Executive Director at Material Focus, said: “We welcome the new vape category announced today, which provides a further opportunity to tighten up the environmental enforcement of vapes.

“By understanding how many vapes are being sold, Defra can set targets to ensure that vape producers make their fair contribution to the costs of recycling these products.”

This follows the single-use vape ban, which came into effect in June 2025, requiring all vapes on the UK market to be rechargeable and refillable.

Retailers are required to provide a take-back scheme for single-use products as part of the ban.

Material Focus has issued a warning about the growing environmental impact of "FastTech" items, following a sharp rise in demand for mini portable fans and similar low-cost electronics.

Data from Google Trends revealed a 16% year-on-year increase in interest for mini fans as of May 2025. The warning forms part of Material Focus’s Recycle Your Electricals campaign, which highlights the mounting waste generated by these cheap, short-lived gadgets.

FastTech refers to inexpensive, mass-produced electronics such as LED lights, earbuds, mini karaoke machines and cables – often priced from as little as £1. While widely purchased, many are quickly discarded. Material Focus estimates that 55% of FastTech items bought each year are either binned or lost, with 589 million items thrown away in 2024/25 – a 25% rise from the previous year. This equates to the waste volume of 2,278 football pitches.

Spending on FastTech is forecast to soar from £2.8 billion in 2023 to £11.6 billion by 2025. Around 84% of UK adults bought at least one FastTech item last year, owning an average of 21 per person.

Cathrine Jansson-Boyd, professor of consumer psychology at Anglia Ruskin University, compared FastTech’s environmental harm to that of fast fashion: “We need to stop seeing these items as disposable.”

Material Focus executive director Scott Butler added: “FastTech might be cheap, but it’s not disposable. These items contain valuable materials like copper, gold and lithium — all being lost to landfill.

“Anything with a plug, cable or battery should never go in the bin.”

The organisation’s recycling locator can help households easily find local drop-off points for old or unused electricals.

The UK-wide ban on single-use vapes is now less than two months away, with enforcement beginning on 1 June 2025.

The legislation, announced in October 2024, applies across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

It will ban the sale of all single-use, disposable vapes - regardless of nicotine content - sold both in-store and online.

The ban aims to address growing concerns around environmental damage and youth vaping.

Public health minister Andrew Gwynne said: “Banning disposable vapes will not only protect the environment but importantly reduce the appeal of vapes to children and keep them out of the hands of vulnerable young people.”

The government estimates that nearly five million disposable vapes are thrown away or littered each week in the UK. These products, which often contain lithium-ion batteries, contribute to fire risks and pose challenges for waste facilities.

Under the new rules, reusable vapes will remain legal, provided they are both rechargeable and refillable. Devices with coils must allow for easy replacement by consumers, ensuring they meet sustainability standards.

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Guidance on the vape ban

In January 2025, Defra issued guidance to help businesses comply with the upcoming restrictions.

Retailers must remove all unsold single-use vapes from sale by 1 June, store them securely off the shop floor or website, and arrange for their proper recycling.

The guidance also reinforces the legal requirement for distributors to offer a “take back” scheme for used vape products, even after the ban comes into effect.

Defra has also outlined the penalties for non-compliance.

In England, civil sanctions such as £200 fines will be issued for initial breaches. However, repeated offences could result in unlimited fines or up to two years in prison.

In Wales, similar penalties apply, while Scotland and Northern Ireland may impose fines of up to £5,000.

Retailers and distributors are reminded that the deadline of 1 June 2025 is fast approaching. The full guidance is available on the Defra website to support compliance and ensure a smooth transition away from single-use vaping products.

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Support for the ban

The Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA) has urged retailers to support the transition by educating consumers.

CEO Gillian Golden said: “As the single-use vape ban approaches, the transition to refillable and rechargeable devices presents an invaluable opportunity to go beyond recycling. Embracing these sustainable alternatives not only reduces waste but also sets a new standard for environmentally conscious vaping.”

Public support for the ban is strong, with 69% of respondents to a government consultation in February 2024 backing the proposal.

The measure is widely seen as a step towards a circular economy, promoting the reuse of valuable resources and protecting public health.

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View our previous stories on the UK-wide single-use vape ban... "UK to Ban Single-Use Vapes from June 2025 [24.10.24]" and "Defra announced that it has banned the use of single-use vapes in the UK [01.02.24]".

Research last year from Material Focus showed that of disposable single-use vapes thrown away has soared from 1.3 million to nearly five million per week.

The research also showed that in 2022 the group identified that 700 fires are caused by batteries hidden inside electricals such as vapes in the waste stream.

The ban follows the launch of a WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) regulation consultation, wherein proposed measures aim to ensure that suppliers of vapes bear the financial responsibility for the separate collection and treatment of these items as waste. This will be achieved by designating vapes as a distinct category under the regulations, compelling producers to cover the recycling costs.

The regulations also encompass additional measures, such as extending obligations for online marketplaces like Amazon to contribute to the collection and financing of recycling for waste electricals. Defra emphasised that this extension would enforce compliance not only for British businesses but also for major international suppliers.

Defra further stated that enhancing the collection and recycling of waste electricals has the potential to stimulate increased investment in the UK's treatment and re-use sector.

‘Powerful tool'

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said: Not only are disposable vapes often targeted, unacceptably, at children – they also represent a huge and growing stream of hard-to-recycle waste, with nearly 5 million thrown away every week.

“This historic announcement will be a powerful tool in support of our efforts to crack down on waste and boost recycling, as well as helping to create the first smoke-free generation.”

Restrictions

The government outlined that new powers will be introduced to restrict flavours which are specifically marketed at children and ensure that manufacturers produce plainer, less visually appealing packaging.

The powers will also allow government to change how vapes are displayed in shops, moving them out of sight of children and away from products “that appeal to them like sweets”.

To deter underage sales, the government has said it will impose fines on shops in England and Wales that illegally sell vapes to children. In addition to this trading standards officers will have the authority to take immediate action against any business they believe to be selling to anyone underage, complementing existing fines imposed by local authorities.

The government plans to allocate £30 million annually to enforcement agencies, including Border Force, HM Revenue and Customs, and Trading Standards, to ensure the implementation of this ban

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View our previous story on single-use vapes, 'Number of vapes disposed in UK is 5 million per week. [14.09.2023]'

An association representing charity shops has raised concerns that the government’s plans to implement free kerbside collections of WEEE could impact their trade.

The standout measure in government’s consultation on reforms to the WEEE regulations, launched in December 2023, was to implement free kerbside collections of electronic waste starting in 2026.

In a survey of its members, the Charity Retail Association (CRA) is examining the potential impact of this, and if it will reduce the amount donated to charity shops.

Presently, many households donate old electrical items to charity, and the CRA's survey seeks to understand if members are concerned about potential impacts on this practice following the implementation of the proposed measure.

The CRA has also emphasised the potential for “significant positive change” as the government contemplates a plan to have producers fund the collection of unsellable electrical items from charity shops.

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Regulations

The CRA added that disposing of donated electrical items that are subsequently unsaleable can be a significant cost pressure for charity retailers and act as a barrier to accepting donated electrical

The potential implementation of the proposal to collect from shops for free however is viewed by the CRA as a chance to address these challenges and bring about positive adjustments in the sector.

The association explained: “We have highlighted this issue with the Government multiple times and now have a real opportunity to secure change with the four UK Governments embarking on a joint review of regulations on the treatment of used and waste electrical items.

“One of the 144 consultation questions includes a proposal to provide charity shops with a free collection and disposal service for charity retailers covering all donated electrical equipment later deemed unsuitable for reuse. This would be paid for by Producer Compliance Schemes funded by fees paid for every new electrical item made available for sale in the UK.”

However, the CRA said the current consultation process does not cover how a free collection and disposal process might work in practice or seek any views on this, with these discussions coming “at a later stage of what will be a multi-year process”.

View our previous story on the WEEE Consultation here.

Defra last week published its long-anticipated consultation on reforms to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013.

The consultation runs from 28 December 2023 to 7 March 2024.

According to Defra, the British public wrongly throw 155,000 tonnes of smaller household electricals such as cables, toasters, kettles and power tools in the bin every year.

Currently, the existing framework governing the collection and management of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) operates on the principle of 'collective producer responsibility. Companies manufacturing electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) contribute financially in accordance with their market share.

Household WEEE undergoes separate collection, primarily facilitated through household waste and recycling centres. Since 2007, producers have borne the financial responsibility for the collection and proper treatment of household WEEE.

Defra has said that it wants views on how it can make re-use and recycling WEEE easier by expanding the existing collections infrastructure to make it more convenient for the public and businesses.

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Measures

Measures that Defra have outlined in the consultation which will be introduced “from 2026” include:

• UK-wide collections of waste electricals directly from households
• Large retailers rolling out collection drop points for electrical items in-store, free of charge, without the need to buy a replacement product.
• Retailers and online sellers taking on responsibility for collecting unwanted or broken large electrical items such as fridges or cookers when delivering a replacement.

Defra said the proposals will mean consumers will be able to recycle their goods during their weekly shop or without even leaving the house.

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Vapes

As part of its proposal’s Defra said it will “ensure suppliers of vapes properly finance the cost of their separate collection and treatment when the items become waste”. This will be done through making vapes a separate category under the regulations, obligating producers of them to cover the cost of recycling.

Other measures Defra has mentioned include extending obligations to contribute to the collection of waste electricals and the financing of their recycling and preparation for reuse to online marketplaces such as Amazon. The body have said: “This would ensure that major international suppliers have to comply with the regulations as well – not just British businesses,”

Defra added that increasing the collection and recycling of waste electricals has the potential to drive greater investment in the UK’s treatment and re-use sector, helping to create British jobs and deliver on the Prime Minister’s priority of growing the economy.

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Call for Evidence

Alongside the consultation they have also launched call for evidence which aims to gather evidence and views to support the reforms to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 that will go beyond the proposals set out in this initial consultation. The evidence sought will inform wider policy developments with the intent to further drive towards Net Zero and circular economy commitments. Policy proposals arising from this call for evidence will require development and consultation therefore will be phased in over a longer timeframe.

You can view the WEEE Review Final Consultation document here.

You can view the WEEE Review Call for Evidence document here.

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View our related story: "Defra consults on WEEE compliance fee for 2023" [25/10/23]

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a consultation on the compliance fee methodology it will adopt for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) for the current year.

This year, there has been just one submission, from the Joint Trade Association, which comprises 10 producer trade associations across the electrotechnical sector, including the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances.

The fee is an alternative mechanism used by compliance schemes and obligated business if they have insufficient recycling evidence to meet their WEEE collection targets for the year.

Defra says its consultation, which runs until 12 November, will be of interest to producers of EEE, approved producer compliance schemes, WEEE treatment facilities, waste management companies, electrical re-use organisations and local authorities.

A JTA-proposed methodology has been used to determine the fee in six consecutive years.

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Adjustment

The JTA’s submission outlines that economic analysis undertaken by FTI Consulting concluded the JTA’s ‘business as usual’ Fee methodology should be used for the 2023 compliance year - this is the JTA Fee methodology selected by Defra for the 2021 and 2022 compliance years – with one minor, future focused modification to signal the importance of increasing reported reuse within the WEEE system.

Due to the “limited” WEEE reuse the body believes it is essential to “introduce an economic” incentive in the form of “reuse adjustment premiums" to be integrated into the 2023 fee formula, aimed at motivating Producer Compliance Scheme to enhance their efforts in promoting reuse.

The consultation states that the premium will apply an “uplift to the Fee for PCSs that do not obtain sufficient WEEE reuse evidence.” It adds “the adjustment we propose is not symmetrical. That is, PCSs which reuse less than the average share of their WEEE pay a higher fee but, for those that reuse more than the average share do not receive a downward adjustment.”

View our previous story 'Defra names 2023 compliance fee administrator [10/02/2023]'.