Ireland’s growing appetite for inexpensive electronic gadgets offers a timely lesson for procurement teams: the cheapest product is not always the best-value purchase. New survey findings reported by The Cool Down show that 44% of Irish consumers discarded a fast-tech item unused, after one use or within a month. With these products ranging from chargers and power banks to mini fans and wireless accessories, the figures raise questions about durability, replacement cycles and the resources lost when products are quickly discarded.

The scale is significant. According to WEEE Ireland’s survey findings, an estimated 91 million fast-tech items were purchased in Ireland in 2025. Among the 776 Irish respondents who explained why they had stopped using these products, 52% cited breakage or defects. Meanwhile, 83% said they would pay more for at least some alternatives if they lasted longer. Although the research examines consumer behaviour rather than business purchasing, it highlights a familiar commercial challenge: low purchase prices can encourage repeat spending when products fail to deliver lasting value.

For procurement professionals, the practical opportunity is to assess products over their useful life rather than relying on upfront cost alone. Durability, repair options, warranty coverage, replacement frequency and end-of-life arrangements can all inform purchasing decisions. Ireland’s public-sector approach already recognises this principle. Under the Government’s Green Public Procurement instructions, public bodies are encouraged to consider a product’s total cost, including purchase, operating and end-of-life costs. The fast-tech findings provide a useful reminder of why that approach matters, even when individual items appear inexpensive.

Facilities management teams also have a role to play. Chargers, small electrical accessories and other devices can accumulate across offices, buildings and operational sites. Clear purchasing standards, asset tracking and accessible collection arrangements can help organisations reduce unnecessary replacements and ensure unwanted electrical items enter appropriate recycling streams. WEEE Ireland also warns that products containing lithium batteries can create fire risks if they are incorrectly discarded in general waste, making responsible disposal an operational consideration as well as an environmental one.

The wider lesson is not that businesses should automatically buy the most expensive products, but that purchasing decisions should reflect performance, lifespan and the cost of managing products when they are no longer needed. Suppliers that can demonstrate reliability, repairability and responsible take-back arrangements may be better placed to deliver lasting value. Our takeaway: procurement can help turn Ireland’s fast-tech challenge into an opportunity for smarter spending, stronger supplier accountability and a more circular approach to resource management.