A survey by tech firm Virgin Media O2 and environmental charity Hubbub is indicating a potential rise in people donating their unwanted smartphones to charities.

Their research shows widespread support for recycling old devices but also ignorance that they can be handed over to charities.

More than two in five people mistakenly believe that charities don’t accept smartphones that can be recycled to support people facing digital exclusion.

Meanwhile, more than seven in ten people feel guilty for not doing more to support good causes and almost half of people say they are happy to pass on an item to a charity, if they know it will have a positive impact on someone’s life.

When asked specifically about rehoming phones, more than half want their old device to go to someone who needs it, while a similar proportion believe donating a device is better for the environment.

The research that estimates 15m unwanted devices are “gathering dust in homes and garages across the country”, indicating the potential for growth in phone recycling to support good causes.

The survey findings have been published by environmental charity Hubbub and tech firm Virgin Media O2 to help promote their Community Calling scheme to recycle phones for refugees, domestic abuse survivors and disadvantaged communities. This has already seen 20,000 devices recycled.

“Four years after Covid-19 hit, digital exclusion remains a significant issue for hundreds of thousands of people in the UK,” said Hubbub chief executive Alex Robinson.

“That’s why we’re thrilled to be celebrating the milestone of having donated 20,000 second-hand devices and free data through Community Calling.

“We’ve made donating a device to Community Calling easy and straightforward, to encourage even more businesses and individuals to pass on their old devices to support those facing digital exclusion.”

Virgin Media O2’s chief sustainability officer Dana Haidan added: “We know people in the UK want to do more to help communities in need, and with millions of unused phones stashed in drawers and garages, they’ve got the power to change lives by donating their devices."

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