Recycle Your Electricals campaign launched

5th May 2020

The Material Focus, has launched the UK’s new Recycle Your Electricals campaign. 

The Recycle Your Electricals campaign has been launched in response to waste electricals being one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world and the UK, losing valuable materials forever to landfill and incineration. 

The new nationwide campaign Recycle Your Electricals is calling on households to stop throwing away and hoarding their unwanted small old electricals – and start reusing and recycling them.

Launched by the Material Focus, formerly known as the WEEE Fund, the not-for-profit is funded by producers of electrical appliances. 

The Recycle Your Electricals campaign is focussing on three key elements to influence change: insights and research; funding to make it easier to recycle; and communications and behaviour change. 

The Material Focus is funding technical research on the barriers to reusing and recycling old electricals. The insights from this research aim to identify new and innovative approaches to recycling. By working with a number of partners to expand the number and type of collection points, the Material Focus will invest to make it easier for everyone to reuse and recycle their old electricals. Further rounds of funding will be announced during 2020 in due course. 

The communications and behaviour change campaign will inspire people to change their behaviour by revealing the hidden value of the materials in our old electricals, and make it easier for people to know how to recycle them. 

Scott Butler, Executive Director of the Material Focus, said:

“We want to stop old electricals being simply thrown away, and create a campaign that inspires millions to take action by reusing and recycling. When we recycle our old electricals, we’re giving a new lease of life to the treasure hidden within – valuable metals like gold, copper, steel and aluminium. These materials can then be transformed into everything from bicycles to life-saving equipment. If you’re decluttering at home, now is a good time to gather up, prepare and store your old electricals in a bag – ready for recycling after lockdown.” 

The first stage of the Recycle Your Electricals campaign launch includes a new website – www.materialfocus.org.uk with a postcode finder designed to make it easier for householders to find their nearest reuse and recycling points for when lockdown lifts. 

Currently the campaign is encouraging householders to put their old electricals in a bag ready to be recycled when their nearest reuse or recycling point opens. Announcements regarding the expansion of reuse and recycling facilities, and other campaign announcements will be rolled out during 2020. 

ENDS