What to do with
Electrical items
Please note that recycling collections and facilities may be affected by the COVID-19 situation. Please check with your local authority for updates about services. Read more
Some local authorities collect small electrical items as part of their kerbside collection, otherwise you can recycle these and larger items at selected retailers and at Household Waste Recycling Centres.
Lots of items fall into this category including alarm clocks; CD/DVD players and game consoles; small kitchen appliances such as kettles, toasters and blenders; personal grooming products like hairdryers, straighteners, electric toothbrushes and shavers; garden tools such as lawnmowers and shredders; other items such as lamps, torches, vacuum cleaners, phones, radios, TVs, printers, cameras and smoke alarms.
It's easy to check if an electrical item, toy or game is recyclable if it reached the end of its working life. Simply ask the following questions and if the answer is yes, to any of these, it is recyclable:
- Does it have a plug?
- Does it use batteries?
- Does it need charging?
- Does it have a picture of a crossed out wheelie bin on it?
Can it be recycled if no longer usable?
Looking after your appliance
The best way to ensure your appliance has a long life is to follow the set up guidelines provided by the manufacturer after purchase.
You can also register your item at registermyappliance to ensure the manufacturer can contact you if a free safety repair is ever needed.
Find out how electrical items are recycled?
For peace of mind, remove your personal data
Take care of your personal data and reduce the risk of it being used by someone else. Check the latest advice from the Information Commissioner's Office on deleting your data.
It's still working - what else can I do?
If you have an electrical item that is still in good working condition, you could consider selling it, passing it on to someone else or donating it - some charity shops accept working electrical items for resale.
Check if you can put small electricals in your recycling