A new poll by YouGov has found that 61% of people in Britain are willing to buy refurbished devices, but most (61%) would prefer a brand-new device.
Younger Britons are slightly more open to refurbished technology, with 69% of 18-24-year-olds willing to buy a refurbished device, compared to 56% of over 65s.
However, people in Britain were still almost three times as likely to say they would rather buy a brand new device (61%) than a refurbished one (22%) when replacing their mobile phone.
37% of Green voters said they would be very willing to buy refurbished techn, compared to 30% of Lib Dems, 23% Labour, and 18% of either Conservative or Reform UK voters.
The survey also showed a reluctance among people in Britain to try to repair a tech device. When asked about three forms of repair – repairing an electronic item yourself, asking the original manufacturer to repair it, or taking it to a high street shop for repairs – fewer than a quarter said they would always or mostly attempt one of these approaches.
42% of those surveyed said they would ‘never’ try to repair a device themselves. However, only 7% of Britons say they would never try to get a broken electronic device repaired.