Amazon and Apple ‘dodging responsibility’ for electronic waste

Amazon and Apple have been “dodging their environmental responsibilities” for the rising amount of electronic waste, MPs have said.

An inquiry into e-waste by the Environment Audit Committee (EAC) concluded that global tech giants need to be held more accountable for what happens to the products they sell after customers throw them away.

More than 150,000 tonnes of e-waste is thrown away each year in the UK, as people discard broken or obsolete computers, smartphones and other electronics.

“For too long companies like Amazon and Apple have been dodging their environmental responsibilities for the products they sell. Too many devices have a limited, and sometimes decreasing, lifespan and end up in bins, eventually going to landfill or incineration,” said EAC chair Philip Dunne.