but I think the journalists have gotScientists have called for people to go “urban mining” after a study revealed that old cables, phone chargers and other unused electrical goods thrown away or stored in cupboards or drawers could stave off a looming shortage of copper.
The research found that in the UK there are approximately 823m unused or broken tech items hiding in “drawers of doom” containing as much as 38,449 tonnes of copper – including 627m cables – enough to provide 30% of the copper needed for the UK’s planned transition to a decarbonised electricity grid by 2030.
Copper is essential in the drive to decarbonise the economy – being a crucial element of solar and wind developments as well as electric cars.
The study found that unused electrical goods could contain as much as £266m worth of copper.
the wrong way round!Experts say copper production is outstripping demand – driven in part by sustainable energy projects and electric cars – and the mining process can have devastating environmental and social consequences.
I am very friendly with our local scrapyard, have been there yearly for decades with sorted scrap: we always get a few quid and it's closer than driving to the tip!