I emailed my local MP this and thought it might be worth popping on my blog too..
A significant proportion of computer e-waste is created not because the hardware has failed, but because the device can no longer run a supported version of Windows or macOS, or because the software people rely on is unavailable on alternative operating systems. The recent end of mainstream support for Windows 10 is a striking example: millions of otherwise functional machines have been rendered obsolete in the eyes of their owners, despite having years of useful life remaining. The environmental cost of manufacturing replacement devices – and disposing of the old ones – is considerable.
The underlying problem is a software duopoly. Free, capable alternatives such as Ubuntu Linux – developed by Canonical, a British company headquartered in London – already exist and run well on older hardware. But consumers cannot realistically switch to them because the applications they need are only released for Windows and macOS, and because computer manufacturers face commercial pressure not to offer alternatives. Tackling e-waste therefore requires tackling the market structure that keeps consumers locked in.
I would like to suggest the following measures:
1. Mandatory dual-boot capability. All new computers sold in the UK should ship configured to dual-boot with both their proprietary operating system (Windows or macOS) and a free, open-source alternative such as Ubuntu Linux. Users would choose which operating system to run at any point. This would give consumers a viable, supported path to keep using their hardware even after the proprietary OS is no longer maintained.
2. Transparent pricing of the operating system. The cost of the bundled proprietary operating system should be itemised separately at the point of sale, so that consumers can see exactly how much they are paying for the software component of their purchase. This would improve consumer choice and competition.
3. Open hardware specifications. All manufacturers selling computers in the UK – including Apple – should be required to publish full hardware specifications and driver information. This would enable independent developers, repair businesses, and the open-source community to keep these machines functional for many more years.
4. OEM neutrality. Computer manufacturers such as Dell, HP and Lenovo should be prohibited from accepting payments, rebates or other commercial incentives from operating system vendors that are conditional on not offering alternative operating system options. This would address the historical practice whereby Microsoft made it commercially painful for manufacturers to ship Linux machines, and would restore a genuinely competitive market in pre-installed operating systems.
5. Cross-platform release requirement for major desktop applications. Any company selling desktop software in the UK above a defined revenue threshold (to avoid burdening small developers) should be required either to release a Linux version of its software alongside Windows and macOS versions, or to publish open APIs and file formats sufficient for third parties to build a compatible client. This would directly address the Adobe and Microsoft Office problem, where the absence of mainstream applications on Linux is the single biggest barrier to consumer adoption.
6. Open file format mandate for government and education. Any software used by UK government departments, the NHS, or state-funded schools should be required to save documents in genuinely open, fully documented file formats – for example OpenDocument Format (ODF) – rather than proprietary formats with nominal “compatibility.” This would break the network effect whereby citizens, businesses and schools must use Microsoft Office because the public sector does, and would create a meaningful market for alternative office software on all platforms.
Together, these measures would reduce e-waste, support the UK’s circular economy ambitions, lower costs for consumers, restore competition in the operating system and desktop software markets, and create opportunities for British software and repair industries – including Canonical and the wider Ubuntu ecosystem.
Beyond the environmental benefits, these proposals would also advance the UK’s digital sovereignty. At present, the everyday computing of British citizens, businesses, schools and public services is overwhelmingly dependent on a small number of American technology companies. Reducing this dependence – by ensuring that British users have a genuine, well-supported alternative in a UK-developed operating system, by requiring open file formats in the public sector, and by opening the desktop software market to fair competition – would give the UK greater control over its own digital infrastructure, reduce strategic vulnerability, and support the growth of a domestic open-source software industry. Environmental policy and digital sovereignty are, in this case, the same policy.