Electricals

Do you have unwanted electricals at home?

We each throw away an average of 23.5kg of electronic waste a year - heavier than an average seven-year-old boy!

Five ways to reduce your electrical waste:

1. Reuse it 2. Repair it 3. Recycle it 4. Buy smarter 5. Look after it

1. Reuse it

If it's still working:

Our reuse shops in Ware, Waterdale, Welwyn Garden City and Harpenden accept small appliances and TVs.They are tested, then sold or donated to local community groups and charities.
Sell, donate or pass it on for reuse.
Community Calling will take working mobile phones. They help combat digital isolation in the community.
Recycling centres accept working and non-working laptops and mobiles - just ask a member of staff.

As a precaution, remove data before discarding items.

Why reuse? Find out at Recycle Now.

2. Repair it

DIY tutorials on YouTube and iFixit.
Find repair guides and spare parts at UK Whitegoods and eSpares.
Speak to an expert online at Just Answer or consult the Restarters repair forums.
Find a local community repair group at the Community Repair Network.
Search online for a commercial repair business.
Learn about or join the repair revolution at The Restart Project or Repair Café International.

3. Recycle it

Take it to a recycling centre.
Find other local electrical recycling points.
Search our A-Z list of what you can and can't recycle.

What happens to your electrical recycling?

What happens to your recycling - destination map and video.

Electricals from recycling centres will be treated and recycled in accordance with all legislative standards and industry guidance in the UK. They are recycled according to their material type: small electricals, large electricals, TVs, fridges and freezers. This is why they are collected separately at the recycling centres.

Remember to remove data before discarding items.

Collected items will be destroyed in the recycling process.

4. Buy smarter

Think before you buy and find products with a lower environmental impact.

At our reuse shops:

PAT testing has been carried out to ensure that all electrical products are safe at the time of sale. This testing does not identify whether or not the item will have all its functions as new.
Consumers should test the functions of the product within the first 30 days and return any items that are not to their satisfaction for a refund. The consumer must present a receipt at this point.
We recommend you register your appliance on - www.registermyappliance.org.uk so you will be alerted should a product be recalled.
If the instruction manual isn’t present, we recommend that you check the manufacturer’s website for a copy before using the item, to ensure you are using the item in a safe manner.

5. Look after it

Find out how to look after your appliances.