Recycling your broken and unwanted household electricals is now easier than ever. Bookings can now be taken for collections on St Marys running on a fortnightly basis.
What can be collected by the Council?
Examples of small electrical items that can be collected include:
- kettles
- toasters
- CD & DVD players
- desk lamps
- irons
- telephones and mobiles (please wipe all data prior to collection)
- PCs and laptops (please wipe all data prior to collection)
- cables, plugs and chargers
- batteries
Examples of large electrical items that can be collected include:
- washing machines
- fitness equipment
- electrical gardening equipment
- fridges and freezers
- dishwashers
There is a small charge to cover the collection of large electrical items. Waste Fees and Charges
What can't be collected by the Council?
- commercial electronic waste
- motor or electric vehicle batteries
- lightbulbs & fluorescent tubes
- anything bigger than our vehicle's cargo area (5ft 6'' long x 4ft wide)
Please take these items to the Porthmellon Waste and Recycling Site, or contact a local haulier by private arrangement.
Commercial fees & charges will apply if you instruct a third party haulier to dispose of your recycling on your behalf.
How to take part in the collections:
1. Gather up your broken and unwanted electrical items that can't be reused or resold.
Almost any items with a plug, battery or cable can be collected for recycling. Please see list above or contact us.
2. Book a collection.
To book, please call the waste & recycling team on 01720 424400 or email zerowaste@scilly.gov.uk.The team will ask you to provide your name, address, contact number and a list of the items you want collected.
If you are booking in large electrical items for collection you will need to make a small payment to cover the cost of collection. Our team will assist you at time of booking.
3. We will collect your items.
The waste and recycling team will collect your items on your booked collection day.
Please place all small loose items in a standard carrier bag/reusable container for collection.
All items, unless agreed otherwise, should be placed at the kerbside (boundary of your property) by 8.30a.m on the day of your collection. Large electrical items may need a separate collection point, which will be confirmed with you when you book.
- Please download the Electrical Collections Leaflet for more information.
- Please ensure you read the Terms and Conditions in full before signing up for this service. By signing up to the service you are agreeing to these Terms and Conditions.
If you require either of these documents in another format, please contact zerowaste@scilly.gov.uk.
Why recycle your old and broken electricals?
Electrical waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the UK. Around 155,000 tonnes of electricals are discarded in the residual 'black bag' waste stream every year and we estimate that around 7 tonnes is discarded in Scilly. That's about 7kgs per household.
By throwing away or hoarding unwanted electricals we are losing precious resources contained within them, such as gold, aluminium and platinum.
Together, we could save Co2 and increase our island's recycling rates, if we recycling our old electricals, instead of discarding them in the residual waste.
Recycle Your Electricals Campaign
To enable the council to start collecting electricals for recycling on St Marys in September 2021, a new electric vehicle has been procured with support from the not-for-profit organisation Material Focus, who are leading the UK-wide Recycle Your Electricals campaign. It’s set to be the first electric vehicle in the Council’s waste and recycling fleet and highlights one of the many practical steps being taken by the council to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030. Through this fantastic project, the council aims to collect around 23 tonnes of electrical waste for recycling, which will be a significant step towards achieving the commitment set out in our Waste Reduction Strategy to increase recycling rates to 65% by 2030. A drop-off system at the off-island waste sites is already well established.
Councillor Steve Sims, Lead Member for Place said: “Waste and recycling on Scilly has made massive strides over the last 6 years and it’s great that we are now in a position to focus on all the smaller but no less important bits. Electrical waste is one of the fastest growing sources of waste in the UK and it’s estimated that at least 7 tonnes of small electrical items such as batteries, cables, chargers and even items like Wi-Fi routers are wrongly discarded in household ‘black bag’ waste every year here on the islands. Together, using this new collection service, we can reduce waste, and the threat it poses to our environment, and increase recycling rates in line with our Waste Reduction Strategy.”
Scott Butler, Executive Director of Material Focus commented: “This project is vital to ensuring that we make good use of our old electricals. Whether they are re-used or recycled, these items contain valuable materials that will otherwise be lost forever. Our research has shown that in the UK we are hoarding over 527 million small electrical items, an average of 20 per household, which is why we have recently launched our Recycle Your Electricals campaign. We are delighted to be working with the Council of the Isles of Scilly on one of a number of new recycling projects that we are funding in the UK. So, whether you are at home or work, please hunt out your old electricals and recycle them to benefit the environment.”
Material Focus (formerly the WEEE Fund), is a not-for-profit organisation whose goal is to stop the nation throwing away or hoarding all their old small electricals. It has launched the new UK-wide Recycle Your Electricals campaign. The campaign is revealing the value hidden in electricals and is making it easier for us all to recycle and reuse the small electricals we no longer need, by providing more recycling points as well as providing practical information on how households can recycle.
Can't find what you're looking for?
If you have an electrical item that isn't listed above, or you can't find the information you need please contact us on 01720 424400 or email zerowaste@scilly.gov.uk.
Please follow Zero Waste Scilly on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for all the latest information on how to get involved and recycle more.