Mark Anderson
Over half of consumers say sustainability is now top priority as planned obsolescence contributes to growing e-waste concerns.
- 53% of British consumers report environmentally friendly initiatives are top priority when choosing the brands they buy from
- Almost 6 million people say that the majority of their plastic domestic appliances have broken within the first two years
- 45% (over 20 million people) would happily pay an extra 25% more for a domestic appliance that is greener/more energy efficient and lasts longer
Lupe Technology, makers of sustainable home appliances, discuss the importance of creating environmentally friendly consumer technology and reducing e-waste to meet emissions targets.
The prime minister is expected to announce radical new climate change commitments in the UK later this week.
The new target will aim to see carbon emissions cut by 78% by 2035, which would make Britain the most aggressive country in the world in terms of emissions reduction.
The announcement echoes a strong public sentiment in favour of cutting emissions, as a recent study carried out by Lupe Technology found that over half of British consumers are now making sustainability one of their key considerations when deciding which brands to buy from, whilst 54% report that making their home ‘greener’ and more sustainable is top priority.
For UK households, the targets will likely bring about an increase in usage of electric cars, low-carbon heating, and renewable electricity, alongside an effort to decrease the startling quantity of household waste and e-waste currently generated across the nation.
According to research by Material Focus, UK households are throwing away 155,000 tonnes of domestic electrical waste every year, and are hoarding 527 million small electricals, weighing around 190,000 tonnes – nearly 20 items per household.
With this in mind, brand new nationally representative research from Lupe Technology has now revealed the extent to which the built-to-break trend is responsible for Britain’s plastic and electrical waste, and shining a light on calls from British consumers for appliances that help to create a greener home:
Key Stats:
- 13% (5,990,000) report that the majority of their plastic domestic appliances have broken within the first two years
- 45% (21,794,000) would happily pay an extra 25% more for a domestic appliance that is greener and more energy efficient and lasts longer
- 18% (8,107,000) are storing many domestic appliances at home that have broken which can’t be recycled or disposed of right now
- 53% (25,616,000) say that environmentally friendly initiatives now have a greater influence over the brands they shop with/buy from
- 54% (24,413,000) report that ensuring their home is as green as possible is top of the priority list when buying new household goods
- 81% (39,427,000) say that when purchasing their next appliance, they will ensure that it is more energy efficient than their current model
*(nationally representative research carried out across a body of 2100 respondents, in full compliance with the British Polling Council Guidelines)
A British engineering start-up challenging the culture of manufacturing household appliances that are built-to-break
In response to the sheer quantity of domestic appliances across the world being discarded into landfill, British vacuum cleaner start-up Lupe Technology is challenging the status quo of popular consumer goods by creating a premium product developed to be a vacuum-cleaner for life.
In the event a part does break, each individual small part of Lupe’s product is replaceable, and the vacuum-cleaner is built from recyclable plastic. This comes as 45% of British consumers (21,794,000) would happily pay an extra 25% more for a domestic appliance that is greener/more energy efficient and lasts longer.
Pablo Montero, co-founder of Lupe, commented on the epidemic of domestic appliances that are built to break: “The Pure Cordless is the domestic appliance designed not just to shake-up the vacuum market but the entire home technology arena. We have strived to make a product as reliable and long-lasting as possible and hope consumers understand our mission to make technology stand the test of time. We want to help keep appliances out of landfill and perform as well as they did on day one for longer.
When designing the Pure Cordless, we had two core values; class-leading performance and longevity. The launch has represented the realisation of this and six years of hard work to make the best possible cordless vacuum available today while thinking about our environmental footprint. This is a product that has been designed to change our attitudes towards consumable electronics and home appliances.”
About Lupe Technology
Devised by an ex-Dyson engineer, the Lupe Pure Cordless is the first vacuum designed from the ground up to be long-lasting, fully serviceable and kinder to the planet whilst delivering best in class performance. By using clever design, more durable materials and over half a decade of research and development, the Lupe Pure Cordless aims to buck the built-to-break trend in Britain and help consumers to build a greener home.
