Survey Finds 39% of Americans Store Old Electronics as Data Fears Deter Reuse
Updated
Updated · The Conversation · Jun 18
Survey Finds 39% of Americans Store Old Electronics as Data Fears Deter Reuse
3 articles · Updated · The Conversation · Jun 18
Summary
A survey of 4,000 U.S. consumers found 39% kept old devices in storage, while only about 10% recycled them and about 10% resold them; 9% threw them away.
Data-security anxiety was a key driver: people worried about leaks were 14% more likely to store devices instead of recycling and 9% more likely to store them instead of reselling.
Knowledge gaps also mattered, with people who did not know where to recycle 10% more likely to hold onto devices; many also treated old gadgets as backup storage.
The researchers said intentions and actions diverged, with privacy fears pushing storage rates higher at the moment people actually had to part with a device.
Their modeling suggests better information could shift behavior: knowing where to recycle made recycling 47% more likely, and the team is now testing data-wiping and disposal guidance in randomized trials.