Britons are expected to purchase almost 8 million mini fans this year as hot weather sends demand soaring, according to the report. But recycling campaigners and waste specialists say a large share of those products are likely to be low-cost, short-lived devices that end up in landfill within 12 months.
Search interest in electrically powered handheld fans has already exceeded the total seen across all of 2025 in just the first half of this year. Data cited by Material Focus showed online searches more than doubled in late June compared with the previous month, while retailers reported sharp jumps in sales during the recent heatwave. One online specialist said fan sales rose by more than 2,500% week on week, John Lewis said sales of its neck fan more than tripled, and Currys said demand jumped almost 3,000% over the hottest weekend compared with the week before.
Waste groups warn against throwing them away
Material Focus said last year that 55% of mini fans were discarded, and based on an expected 7.9 million purchases in the UK this year, about 4.3 million could be thrown away if that pattern continues. The group urged shoppers to consider better-quality alternatives, including paper fans, and to take broken electrical items to recycling facilities rather than putting them in household bins.
Waste managers said they had not yet seen a noticeable increase in disposable fans in collections, but warned that electrical items can create problems if they are mixed into general waste or kerbside recycling. According to the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, damaged devices containing lithium-ion batteries can catch fire and pose risks to workers, equipment and waste facilities. The group also said the market for cheap electrical goods adds pressure on scarce raw materials.
Source: theguardian.com
