A £1 million Time After Time e-waste fund from Virgin Media O2 and environmental charity Hubbub has enabled thousands of phones, tablets and other electronics to be repaired, reused or recycled, with more than 60% of donated smartphones and tablets refurbished and placed back into the community. The initiative forms part of Virgin Media O2’s broader circularity agenda, which has already surpassed its ambition to inspire 10 million consumer “circular actions” such as recycling, repair and refurbishment, ahead of its 2025 deadline.

The programme’s reach has been extensive: funded projects engaged over 260,000 people and encouraged nearly 10,000 device donations. Alongside redistribution, the scheme invested in skills, with 400 individuals completing technical repair training. Awareness-building activities, including university hackathons and local repair fairs, aimed to normalise maintenance and lengthen the lifespan of consumer tech.

Community outcomes illustrate the fund’s local impact. Treverbyn Community Trust launched a mobile repair service that supported around 1,300 residents. In Llanelli, 26 young people became “e-waste ambassadors,” gaining hands-on repair capabilities and public engagement experience. Hull saw device donations triple-digit growth, weekly repair sessions quadruple, and two neurodivergent volunteers progress into paid part-time roles, evidence of both environmental and social value.

Elsewhere, Battersea doubled device donations to 1,300, with laptops and smartphones refurbished for schools and community organisations. By embedding trade-in, repair and reuse into everyday behaviour, the Time After Time fund showcases how targeted investment can tackle e-waste at scale while improving digital inclusion. The results point to a maturing circular economy for consumer electronics in the UK, with measurable benefits for people and the planet.