Mobile phone users in the UK waste half a billion pounds every year, by buying a new phone when their old one breaks. Research by tech repair specialist iSmash has identified a trend of consumers opting for an entirely new device when a repair would cost them £100 less. Over half of us have damaged our phones in past 24 months, but almost four in 10 will, rather than replacing the parts of their damaged device, purchase a new one, costing them an average of £100 more. Mobile devices already have a short lifespan, of 29 months on average, with consumers encouraged to upgrade their devices frequently. The research also found that 35 per cent of Brits have broken or smashed their phone more than once, with 18 per cent of those aged between 25-34 breaking their phone whilst taking a selfie. Those aged 18-24 were found to be more likely to have their phone fall out of their pocket with more than half admitting to dropping their device in the toilet (60 per cent). There is also the environmental impact to consider - the EU is predicted to generate more than 12 million tonnes per year of electrical and electronic equipment by 2020. Greenpeace estimates that less than 16 per cent of electronic waste gets recycled.