We will improve our use of resources and create circular business models
Our relationship with tech needs to change and as the #1 tech retailer in all the markets we operate in, we’re uniquely placed to lead the way in changing this relationship. We believe there’s a far better way – better for customers, better for us, better for communities and better for the planet. And that better way is to give technology a longer life.
We all love new technology and want to feel good about buying a new piece of kit. But we also know that electronic waste is the world’s fastest growing waste stream and is expected to grow to nearly 82 million tonnes by 2030. We have to face facts: we can’t keep throwing stuff away.
At Currys, we don’t just sell amazing technology; we save it too. It’s not just better for the planet, it’s also great for your pocket. For example, our UK & Ireland ‘Cash for Trash’ campaign encourages Brits to give Currys their unwanted tech in return for a £5 voucher.
As the leading technology retailer in all our markets, with the ability to serve customers in-store and online, we are in a prime position to make a difference and help our customers extend the life of their tech. So, here’s how we’re doing it at every stage of the product’s life.
Key facts
Across our Group in 2023/24
12 m
active care services and tech insurance plans
1.4 m
repairs completed
8.1 m
items of e-waste collected for recycling and reuse
Collaborating with others
Giving technology longer life shows how purpose and profit can – and must – go hand in hand. We’re doing the right thing and making a profit – and that means we’re in it for the long-run. We’re leading the way in changing everyone’s relationship with tech for the better.
We are helping to accelerate industry change by working with others. We have continued our membership of the Circular Electronics Partnership (‘CEP’) which brings together experts, business leaders and global organisations to set a vision and roadmap to a circular economy for electronics by 2030. We’ve contributed to the roadmap review and action plans, and have supported their project to create a circular electronics guide.
Product packaging
We’re prioritising a number of ways to help reduce, recycle and reuse plastics and packaging. We have achieved our aim to make all our own label and licensed brand packaging reusable or recyclable. At the end of 2023/24, 99.95% was recyclable, with 85% recyclable at kerbside based on UK infrastructure. 88% of the remaining 15% of plastic that cannot be recycled at kerbside is expanded polystyrene (‘EPS’).
In the UK & Ireland, we provide an in-store takeback scheme for TV packaging, including EPS, and we offer our customers a free packaging recycling service when we deliver and unbox large household appliances. We also offer packaging recycling services in the Nordics.
We proactively work with suppliers of own label and licensed brand products to reduce packaging. In 2023/24 we continued our collaborative work to remove plastic packaging and have removed EPS altogether where possible, such as in some of our microwave ovens, saving over 41 tonnes.
We remain committed to finding solutions that reduce environmental impact whilst also protecting the product from damage by conducting trials to understand the lifecycle impacts of packaging changes.
We continue to work with our suppliers to look to make further improvements and investigate ways to get used packaging and other raw materials back to suppliers for circular production.