New electrical recycling project in Teesside to help families in need
People in Redcar and Cleveland are being urged to help
Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has unveiled its plans for residents to donate their unwanted electrical items, which will be tested for safety and distributed to families in need.
The Electrical Recycling Project has launched in the hope that 136,600 residents in the local community will get behind its drive to recycle their electricals.
The Project will encourage residents to bring unwanted working, small domestic electrical items, including toasters, kettles, sandwich makers, hairdryers, irons and other items to Dunsdale Waste and Recycling Centre where they will be redistributed to people in need across Redcar and Cleveland by local community groups.
This is one of over 40 UK projects funded by Material Focus, the not for profit leading the Recycle Your Electricals campaign, who have provided £19,410 for Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council to work with the community groups to test and redistribute the electrical items. The project will lead the way in Redcar and Cleveland, joining other projects around the country in making it easier for 10 million UK residents to recycle their electricals.
Teaming up with local community groups Footprints in the Community and Loftus CIC, The Electrical Recycling Project will collect the donated items from Dunsdale Waste and Recycling Centre. Staff and volunteers at these community groups have been trained and provided with equipment to PAT test the items and any small, domestic electricals that have passed their PAT test will be distributed to new homes.
The aim of the nationwide Electricals Recycling Fund is to significantly reduce e-waste and its environmental impact by making it easier for consumers to recycle their electricals. The projects that have been funded by Material Focus include a variety of recycling methods, from kerbside collections to more drop-off points in schools, community centres, and bring banks. Overall, there will be over 400 new collection points plus kerbside collections for 5.5 million UK residents.
Recycle Your Electricals research has shown that 80% of consumers believe recycling is a good thing, and many of us already recycle things like paper and plastic. Research has also shown that most of us have unwanted electricals we want to get rid of, even if it’s just a drawer of cables - millions of electrical items are hoarded in UK homes. And yet 39% of people bin electricals rather than recycle them say they think it’s simply too hard to recycle. The aim of these projects is to overcome these issues by making it easier to recycle electricals.
Cabinet Member for Housing and Neighbourhoods Cllr Adam Brook said: “This is a scheme that can make a huge difference for many Redcar and Cleveland residents in need. Even one electrical item donated can brighten someone’s day and make their life easier. I would like to give my thanks to the community groups involved in this scheme, which would not be possible without them. I would also like to thank Material Focus for funding this initiative which we hope will see many people and families taking home electrical items in good condition.
"We are thrilled to support Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council with their project that addresses the pressing issue of e-waste.” said Scott Butler, Executive Director of Material Focus. "By investing in improved collection and drop-off services and exploring new recycling methods, we are taking a significant step towards creating a more sustainable future by making it easier for 10 million more people to recycle their electricals."
To find your nearest recycling point search recycle your electricals.