Millions of old but functioning electronic objects are lying around Swiss households – many of which are eventually dumped instead of being reused, according to a survey by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW).
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Lares suíços estão cheios de eletrônicos não utilizados
In the study published on Monday, 40% of the 1,505 people surveyed said they had an old – but functioning – mobile phone at home, 36% said they had an unused camera, while 27% said they had an old laptop or tablet lying around.
Extrapolated to the population at large, this would amount to over three million mobile phones, in good condition, sitting in Swiss houses, the report said.
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The hoarding of electronics contrasted with the stance on old clothes, which 78% of respondents said they gave away when they were finished with them.
The survey, which was carried out in order to get a picture of the sustainability of Swiss consumer habits, also asked about environmental impact. While half of respondents said they preferred to buy products which respect nature, over half (55%) said they would be unwilling to give up their favourite product if there was a more sustainable option available. Some 65% said they wanted to reduce their consumption in general, and 83% said they used objects for as long as possible in an effort to reduce the environmental impact of frequently buying new ones.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.