A broadband provider has become the first in the UK to allow customers to reuse their old routers, reducing electronic waste.

Whiteley-based Onestream, one of the UK's largest independent providers, has "decoupled" its service from routers, urging major brands to follow suit.

Currently, firms such as BT, Plusnet, Sky Broadband, Talk Talk, and Virgin Media prevent customers from reconfiguring their devices for use with a competitor, limiting their lifespan.

Aaron Brown, co-founder of Onestream, said: "Locked-down routers are a major source of e-waste, and providers who refuse to allow them to be decoupled from the service are restricting customer choice and contributing to environmental harm in a way that is completely unnecessary.

"We are proud to lead the way in offering a more sustainable, game-changing option that not only saves our customers money, but also helps protect the environment from the effects of large volumes of electronic waste being destroyed or sent to landfill.

"For our customers, reconfiguring an existing router is usually simpler than setting up a new one. If the major providers followed our lead, many more consumers would be able to make this choice.

"We believe reusing routers should be the default choice, and we challenge other providers to join us in making a simple change that could have a huge positive impact."

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During trials, one in five customers opted for the company's money-saving option to use their existing equipment when they switched.

This simple process could save around 1.8 million devices from being stored or dumped each year.

Research indicates that around 22 million unused routers currently sit in homes, increasing the risk of becoming electronic waste.

A survey found that 60 per cent of consumers believe internet service providers should do more to help the environment.

Onestream has pledged to be "the one for wveryone" for broadband, mobile, and cybersecurity, and this initiative shows the company is taking steps to help the environment.

Customers unable to reuse a router or who choose not to can still receive a device.