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Why handheld fans are not cool
并不“凉爽”的手持小风扇
Watch on YouTube 📺
Why handheld fans are not cool
并不“凉爽”的手持小风扇
目前在英国，廉价的手持小风扇正引发严重的电子垃圾问题。这些迷你风扇由于价格低廉且难以维修，每年都有数百万台在无法回收的情况下被直接丢弃。这不仅浪费了设备中宝贵的铜和锂资源，而且当充电电池被挤压变形时，还极易在垃圾收集车中引发火灾，非常危险。
Cheap handheld fans are causing a massive electronic waste crisis in the UK.
廉价的手持小风扇正导致英国严重的电子垃圾问题。handheld fans 手持风扇 / electronic waste crisis 电子垃圾危机
In 2026, people in the UK are expected to buy
2026年，英国民众预计将购买expected to buy 预计购买
over 8 million of these mini fans.
超过800万台迷你风扇。over 8 million 800万以上 / mini fans 迷你风扇
But because they are cheap and hard to repair,
但由于价格极其低廉且难以维修，hard to repair 难以维修
about half of them get thrown away every year.
每年大约有一半会被直接丢弃。about half 约一半 / thrown away 被丢弃
Sadly, only 62% of discarded fans are formally collected for recycling.
遗憾的是，在被丢弃的风扇中，仅有62%通过正式渠道回收。discarded fans 被丢弃的风扇 / formally collected 正式收集 / recycling 回收利用
In 2026, about 1.8 million fans will end up directly in household trash bins.
到2026年，约有180万台风扇将直接进入家庭垃圾箱。end up 最终导致 / household trash bins 家庭垃圾箱
By 2030, this trash number is projected to jump to 2.6 million fans.
到2030年，这一数字预计将飙升至260万台。projected to jump 预计飙升
This is a serious problem for the planet
这对地球环境来说是个严重的问题。serious problem 严重问题 / planet 地球
because these small devices contain valuable copper and lithium.
因为这些小型设备中含有贵重的铜和锂。small devices 小型设备 / contain valuable copper 含有贵重的铜
Even worse, when their rechargeable batteries get crushed,
更糟糕的是，如果充电电池被挤压变形，Even worse 更糟糕的是 / rechargeable batteries 充电电池 / get crushed 被挤压变形
they can easily catch fire in waste collection trucks.
极易在垃圾收集车中引发火灾。catch fire 起火 / waste collection trucks 垃圾收集车
While the UK is considering new laws to make companies design better products,
虽然英国正在考虑出台新法，要求企业改进产品设计，considering new laws 正在考虑新法律 / design better products 改进产品设计
for now, we must recycle them properly.
但目前来说，正确进行回收利用至关重要。recycle properly 正确回收
Quiz 🧠
Q1. Throwing battery devices into household trash bins can cause fires.
查看答案
✅ True
充电电池在垃圾车内被挤压破损时，很容易引发火灾。
Rechargeable batteries can easily break and catch fire when crushed inside garbage trucks.
Q2. What does 'discarded' mean in 'discarded fans'?
查看答案
✅ thrown away
'Discarded'表示某物因不再需要而被丢弃。
'Discarded' describes something that has been thrown away because it is no longer wanted.
Q3. Why do people often throw away cheap mini fans?
查看答案
✅ They are hard to repair
廉价的小家电往往不易维修，因此坏了之后人们通常会直接扔掉。
Cheap gadgets are rarely designed to be fixed, so people throw them away when broken.
Dialogue 🎧
Michael: Olivia, please tell me you did not buy one of those cheap, plastic handheld fans.
Michael: Olivia，你该不会买了那个便宜的塑料手持风扇吧？
Olivia: Actually, I did! But they are causing a massive electronic waste crisis in the UK.
Olivia: 其实我买了！但我听说这些东西现在正引发英国严重的电子垃圾危机。
Michael: Wait, those tiny dollar-store things? How big of a deal can they really be?
Michael: 等等，就是那种在廉价商店随处可见的小风扇吗？那能有多大问题？
Olivia: Huge. In 2026, people in the UK are expected to buy over eight million of them.
Olivia: 真的很严重。预计到2026年，英国人将购买超过800万台这种风扇。
Michael: Eight million? That is absolutely insane for something that just blows a little air!
Michael: 800万台？作为一个只是吹吹风的小物件，这数字也太夸张了！
Olivia: Right? And because they are hard to repair, about half get thrown away every year.
Olivia: 对吧？而且因为很难维修，每年大约有一半会被直接扔掉。
Michael: I am so guilty of that. I threw mine in the trash last summer.
Michael: 听你这么一说我有点愧疚了，去年夏天我用的那个就被我直接扔进垃圾桶了。
Olivia: Oh no! Sadly, only sixty-two percent of discarded fans are formally collected for recycling.
Olivia: 哎呀，那可不行！遗憾的是，在被丢弃的风扇中，只有62%得到了妥善回收。
Michael: So where do the rest go? Do they just sit in landfills forever?
Michael: 那剩下的都去哪儿了？就永远堆在垃圾填埋场了吗？
Olivia: Pretty much. In 2026, about 1.8 million fans will end up directly in household trash bins.
Olivia: 差不多是这样。到2026年，预计约有180万台风扇会直接进入家庭垃圾箱。
Michael: That makes me feel terrible. Is it going to get even worse?
Michael: 听起来真让人难受。情况会变得更糟吗？
Olivia: Yes. By 2030, that trash number is projected to jump to 2.6 million fans.
Olivia: 是的，到2030年，被丢弃的风扇数量预计将飙升至260万台。
Michael: Okay, but they are mostly just cheap plastic, right? Why is that so bad?
Michael: 我明白了。但大部分不就是廉价塑料吗？为什么危害这么大？
Olivia: They are not just plastic. They actually contain valuable materials like copper and lithium.
Olivia: 不仅仅是塑料。实际上，里面含有铜和锂等贵重资源。
Michael: Ah, the lithium is for the rechargeable batteries, right?
Michael: 啊，锂是充电电池里用的那种吧？
Olivia: Exactly. And when those batteries get crushed in waste trucks, they can easily catch fire.
Olivia: 没错。而且在垃圾车里，如果电池被挤压变形，很容易引发火灾。
Michael: Oh wow. I had no idea my tiny fan was a literal fire hazard!
Michael: 哇，天哪。我真没预料到我这个小风扇竟然是个火灾隐患！
Olivia: Luckily, the UK is considering new laws to make companies design better, longer-lasting products.
Olivia: 幸好英国政府正在考虑新法律，要求企业制造更耐用的产品。
Michael: That is good. But for now, we definitely need to recycle them properly.
Michael: 那太好了。但眼下，我们至少应该先学会正确回收。