Britons are projected to purchase nearly 8 million mini fans in 2026, as demand for portable cooling devices surges during hot weather. However, campaigners warn that almost half of these products are low-quality and will likely be discarded within a year, ending up in landfill.
Surge in searches and sales
Online searches for electrically powered handheld fans, which can cost as little as £2, have already surpassed the total for the whole of 2025 in just the first six months of 2026, according to data from the campaign group Material Focus. The late June heat surge caused Google searches to more than double compared to the previous month.
Electrical goods retailers report a significant increase in demand. Joybuy, an online specialist, said sales of all electrical fans rose more than 2,500% week on week during last month's heatwave. The Chinese group, which sells handheld fans for under £5, gave away 6,000 units at London transport hubs. John Lewis noted that sales of its £15 neck fan more than tripled during the heatwave, while Currys' boss admitted fans were in short supply after sales jumped almost 3,000% over the hottest weekend compared to the week before.
Environmental concerns
Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus, urged consumers to seek better-quality products or alternatives such as paper fans, and to recycle broken items at local facilities. “Mini fans, one of the poster children of fast-tech, first appeared en masse last year and more are surging on to the market during this heatwave, helping us deal with this extreme heat,” he said. “But many are, as quickly as they are bought, thrown away or lie forgotten at the bottom of our drawers of doom. Instead, with a bit more thought, we could buy an item that could last a bit longer, work just as well but be better for the environment.”
Last year, the group calculated that 55% of mini fans were thrown away. If habits continue, of the 7.9 million expected to be bought in 2026, 4.3 million are likely to be discarded.
Waste management risks
Waste managers have not yet seen a rise in disposable fans in refuse collections, but they advise against putting used items in bins. Consumers should check with local councils or retailers for take-back schemes. Richard Hudson, policy and technical manager at the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, warned: “Any electrical items incorrectly disposed of in kerbside recycling or residual waste collections can cause problems for waste handlers. These items get crushed and damaged during the collection rounds, and as they contain high-powered lithium-ion batteries, they can then easily catch fire, causing serious risks to workers, equipment, waste facilities and the wider environment. The mass production of cheap, low-quality electrical items that are neither designed for longevity, or with end-of-life management in mind, are a big user of scarce critical raw materials.”
