Price (85%) was considered the most important factor for people purchasing Information & Communication Technology (ICT) devices in the first six months of 2024. The brand, design, or size, and hardware characteristics were the second-most important factors at 70%.
In terms of sustainable factors, the energy efficiency of the device was considered by over one-quarter (27%), and just short of one in seven (15%) felt that the eco-design of the device was an important factor, an increase of three percentage points on the same period in 2022.
The availability of a take-back scheme was a consideration for 9% of people, up from 6% in 2022. Similarly, 9% of people deemed the option to extend the warranty/guarantee as important, up from 5% in 2022.
For seven in ten (70%) of people who had recently replaced their phone, the old device was still in the house, up eight percentage points compared with 2022.
Nearly six in ten people (58%) said they still had an old laptop or tablet at home, while one in eleven (9%) had sold it or given it away.
In 2024, desktop computers were the most common ICT device recycled at Waste Electrical and Electronic (WEEE) facilities or brought back to the retailer.
Some 24% of people indicated they had returned a desktop computer for recycling compared with less than one in seven (15%) who returned old laptops and tablets, and just 9% of people who brought back old mobile phones and smartphones.
This release, Sustainability of Personal ICT Devices 2024, is the fourth and last in a series of releases presenting the results of the annual Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Household Survey. The first release, Internet Coverage and Usage in Ireland 2024 was published on 01 October 2024 and covered household internet access, and individuals’ frequency of internet usage. The second release, Household Digital Consumer Behaviour 2024, was published on 10 October 2024 and covered individuals’ use of e-commerce including online purchases, internet activities, online learning, and their use of e-Government. The third release, Smart Technology 2024, was published on 18 October 2024 and focussed on our use of internet-connected devices and systems, both inside and outside the home.
Learn about our data and confidentiality safeguards, and the steps we take to produce statistics that can be trusted by all.
Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (30 October 2024) released Sustainability of Personal ICT Devices 2024, which is the fourth and last of a series of releases presenting the results of the annual Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Household Survey (See Editor’s Note below for more details).
The 2024 ICT Household Survey was carried out in the first half of 2024. The data in this release relates to the experience of people aged 16 years and over who have used the internet within the three months prior to interview. At an overall level, more than nine in ten (93%) people aged 16 years and older had used the internet within the previous three months. Figures on the frequency of internet usage were published in our first release in this series, Internet Coverage and Usage in Ireland 2024.
In this release, we examine how they disposed of ICT devices such as smartphones or laptops and what factors influenced their decisions when buying new devices, including environmental considerations. The last time this set of questions was asked was in 2022, so in this release, data for 2024 will be compared with 2022 data.
Commenting on the results, Maureen Delamere, Statistician in the Social Analysis Division, said: "As our everyday lives become more and more virtual, we rely on our phones, laptops, tablets, or desktop computers to communicate with each other, work from home, stream our favourite songs and shows, do our banking, shop online, etc.
We replace some devices more frequently than others, and we tend to replace devices well before their end of life, as we buy the latest version or model with a better camera or new design. This release examines how sustainable or environmentally friendly our choices are when it comes to replacing our devices or disposing of them, and what factors we consider when purchasing a new one.
Old Devices
Seven in ten (70%) respondents said their most recently replaced mobile phone or smartphone was still in their house. Almost six in ten (58%) still have a laptop or tablet at home they no longer use.
One in seven (15%) had sold their phone or given it away, while less than one in ten (9%) did something similar with their old laptop or tablet.
Some did bring their most recently replaced devices to a Waste Electrical and Electronic (WEEE) recycling/e-waste collection point or had returned them to their retailer for disposal. The item most likely to be recycled were desktop computers (24%), while almost one in ten (9%) had disposed of their most recently replaced phone in e-waste collection/recycling.
Factors that Influence New Purchases
When it comes to buying new electronic items such as mobile phones or computers, the survey results show that price was still the most important factor for the digital consumer. Some 85% said they considered price when they were purchasing their most recent ICT device.
The second most important considerations when purchasing a new device at 70% were brand, design, or size, and hardware characteristics such as its storage, or processing speed, etc.
Sustainable factors such as the energy efficiency of the device or the eco-design were also considered by consumers when purchasing devices. Over one-quarter (27%) considered how energy efficient the device was. Females (28%) were slightly more likely than males (26%) to consider the energy efficiency of the device when making a new purchase.
Meanwhile, the eco-design of the device was important for one in seven (15%) internet users. The eco-design of an ICT device relates to how sustainable it is. It includes its durability, whether it has an easily upgradable or reparable design that requires fewer materials, whether there were environmentally friendly materials used for packaging, or if the device was designed for longevity, etc.
Almost one in ten (9%) said that the possibility to extend the life span of the device by buying an extra guarantee/warranty was a factor, while a further 9% said that the existence of a take-back scheme offered by the manufacturer or seller was important.”