UK households bin 168m Christmas lights and ‘fast tech’ items a year | Environment

British households threw away around 168 million bright Christmas items and other ‘fast-tech’ gifts in the past year, a study has found.

The study by not-for-profit group Material Focus found that around £1.7 billion was spent last year on Christmas lighting, including 39 million on fairy lights.

Consumers purchased an additional 28 million light-up items such as garlands, wreaths, stars and snow globes, as well as 23 million light-up figures and characters and 16 million pre-lit Christmas trees.

The research was based on information provided by 4,000 British adults, who were asked how many cheap light-up electrical items they had bought and how many had been thrown away. This figure was then extrapolated to the UK population, giving a figure of 168 million items put in the bin.

The researchers explained that disposable technologies were often powered by batteries which, if discarded or recycled incorrectly, could be crushed in garbage trucks, potentially causing fires.

There were more than 1,200 battery fires in bins and recycling centers in 2023-2024, an increase of 71% on the previous year. Many were the result of poor disposal practices.

Separate research found that 1.1 billion of all types of electrical appliances and 450 million batteries are thrown away irresponsibly every year.

Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus, said: “We understand that ‘fast-tech’ Christmas lights and gifts, and the traditions around them, help make Christmas the most joyous time of the year for many. But as we approach the new year and the novelty has worn off or the holiday lights have broken again, why not start 2026 by creating your own positive impact?

“If they cannot be repaired, donated or sold, always recycle them. Electrical devices with hidden batteries should always be recycled separately from your household waste and recycling.”