The research, commissioned by wearable tech brand UNA Watch, reveals that almost half of Brits (47%) would rather buy a new device than attempt to fix a broken one. For smartwatches, the picture is even bleaker – half of users (50%) say they’d ditch their device outright if it broke, compared with just 28% who would consider a repair.

It's a trend that has serious implications for the UK’s growing e-waste problem. More than a third of people (38%) admit to having a drawer dedicated entirely to broken or obsolete gadgets, amounting to an estimated 22 million households hoarding defunct tech. The UK now produces 24kg of e-waste per person annually, making it the second-worst offender globally behind Norway.

Hazel Gray, a 24-year-old smartwatch owner from Glasgow, says she’s learned the hard way that current repair options often fall short.

She said: “If my devices break, I will usually try to take them to a repair shop as it’s cheaper than going to Apple directly – but they usually don’t do a good job. I had a nightmare with my last Apple Watch when the screen broke. I was told it would still be waterproof after it was ‘fixed’, but when I went swimming the whole device got ruined. It ended up in the bin.

“If I was able to get genuine parts from the manufacturer, I’d absolutely try to repair things myself. I honestly do think these companies deliberately design their products to break. It’s frustrating that we’ve just accepted this throwaway culture. It’s terrible for the environment and for our wallets.”

The nationally representative survey, carried out by independent insights agency Opinion Matters, highlights how widely this frustration is shared. More than half of respondents (54%) believe manufacturers deliberately make products unrepairable – a sentiment even stronger among older generations, with 66% of the Silent Generation (aged 79+) and 65% of Baby Boomers (aged 60-78) holding that view.

Yet despite the dominance of disposability, many are keen to take repair into their own hands. Half of Brits (50%) say they’d like to fix their broken belongings, but feel they lack the skills or information to do so. Nearly six-in-10 (56%) say they don’t have the know-how to repair tech, with the figure rising to 70% among Baby Boomers. And a third (34%) say they wouldn’t even know where or how to recycle their old devices.

Kirsty Fraser, a former mobile phone shop worker and DJ, has seen the issue from both sides of the counter. The 23-year-old Callander woman said: “I constantly had people coming in spending a fortune to upgrade brand-new phones which were slightly damaged – and a lot of times totally immaculate. The new models they were buying were virtually identical. It’s like we’ve been brainwashed into thinking we need to constantly upgrade.”

As a former DJ, she also knows the pain of constantly replacing expensive gear. Now, she says, even though she’d like to fix her tech, she’s worried about the risks.

She added:  “I went through a lot of headphones – and they weren’t cheap. Eventually, I found a modular headphone brand which allowed me to repair and upgrade them without bankrupting myself. It meant I could gig without worrying about breaking expensive kit.

“I often worry about getting broken devices fixed – mostly because I’m scared it’ll void my warranty. If I had access to the parts and the know-how, I’d definitely try fixing things myself. But right now, it just feels totally inaccessible with most tech on the market.”

Wearable tech entrepreneur Lewis Allison, co-founder of UNA Watch, believes this throwaway culture is neither inevitable nor sustainable. His company is launching the world’s first modular, repairable GPS sports watch via Kickstarter – a device that can be upgraded and fixed by the user, not discarded. He was inspired to create the device after his wife was stung by a £300 bill to fix her Apple Watch two days after buying it.

He said: “The tech industry has normalised disposability, but it doesn’t have to be this way.  When a screen cracks or a battery dies, that shouldn’t mean the end of the device. Smartwatches should last, evolve, and be repairable by wearers – just like any other tool people rely on daily.”

Backed by more than £300,000 in early investment, UNA Watch has now raised more than £240,000 through the Kickstarter, backed by more than 1,200 orders. But for now, the brand is focusing on direct-to-consumer sales as more and more people are rebelling against the stranglehold of big tech.

Allison believes modular design could help change attitudes, allowing consumers to extend the life of their devices and push back against built-in obsolescence.

He continued: “We’re giving people the power to fix their own tech, saving them money while reducing e-waste. Right now, the only alternative to replacement is an expensive repair service – if one is even available.”

With 44% of people saying they are worried about the environmental impact of e-waste, momentum may be building for a more sustainable approach. UNA Watch hopes to sell 2,500 units through the campaign, generating £500,000 in revenue and building a community of early adopters committed to tackling one of the planet’s fastest-growing waste streams.

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