Virgin Media O2 and Hubbub fund saves ,more than 8,000 devices for a second life

Virgin Media O2 and Hubbub’s £1 million Time After Time e-waste grant fund has led to more than 8,000 devices being reused or recycled, with over 60 per cent of donated smartphones and tablets refurbished and redistributed.

The fund is part of Virgin Media O2’s wider circularity programme, which the company says has already surpassed its goal of encouraging 10 million consumer “circular actions” (recycling, reusing, refurbishing, repairing) ahead of its 2025 target.

Hubbub a sustainability charity twice named Charity of the Year, reported that:

• More than 260,000 people were reached through funded activities

• Almost 10,000 people donated a device

• 8,000 electrical items were repaired, reused, or recycled

• Over 60% of donated smartphones and tablets were refurbished and redistributed

• 400 individuals completed tech repair training courses

Local impact examples include:

• Treverbyn Community Trust: set up a mobile repair service that reached 1,300 people

• Llanelli: 26 young people trained as “e-waste ambassadors,” gaining repair skills and public engagement experience

• Hull: device donations rose by 200%, weekly repair sessions quadrupled, and two neurodivergent volunteers moved into paid part-time roles

• Battersea: device donations doubled to 1,300, with laptops and smartphones refurbished and distributed to schools and community organisations

The fund also backed awareness initiatives such as university hackathons and repair fairs, aimed at extending device lifespans and normalising repair and maintenance.