Electricals

Find out how to recycle your electrical items.

Did you know? Over 150,000 tonnes of electricals are thrown away each year, instead of reusing or recycling them. E-waste is one of the biggest growing waste streams and poses a major threat to the environment and human health. 

It is important to recycle electricals in the right place. Electricals (including batteries) must never be put in either of your bins at home as they can cause dangerous fires. 

Recycle your electricals

Click the links to find out how to recycle many common electrical items.
Batteries
Find out how to reduce, recycle and dispose of batteries.
E-cigarettes
Find out how to recycle and dispose of vapes and other types of electronic cigarettes.
Fire alarms
Find out how to recycle fire alarms.
Fridges and freezers
Find out how to recycle fridges and freezers.
Hearing aids
Find out how to reuse and recycle hearing aids.
Large electrical appliances
Find out how to reuse and recycle large electrical appliances.
Small electrical items (hairdryers, kitchen gadgets, mobile phones etc)
Find out how to reduce, reuse and recycle small electrical items.

Repair and re-use your electricals

Before you recycle your electricals, could you repair broken electricals or donate old electricals for re-use? 

Person fixing an electrical item at a repair cafe.

Recycle Your Electricals

Visit the Recycle Your Electricals website for more information on the issue of e-waste and what we can do to reuse and recycle more of our electronics! 

Electricals Recycling Fund

Almost 80% of people think recycling their electricals is the right thing to do – but only 45% of people think it’s easy. Material Focus are looking to fund projects that make it easier for the UK to repair, donate or recycle their old electricals.

Funding applications are currently open on a rolling basis, which means there is no deadline for them.

Who can apply: Local Authorities, waste collection authority areas, contractors, non-profits, community sector organisations, producer compliance schemes, and retailers – not individuals.