Scheme for recycling electrical items to be rolled out across East Northants

A new scheme for recycling electrical goods will be in operation across East Northants from next week.
Laptops can be recycled as part of the schemeLaptops can be recycled as part of the scheme
Laptops can be recycled as part of the scheme

Following a successful pilot in Raunds, a new WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) collection scheme from East Northamptonshire Council (ENC) will be available to all residents across the district from Monday (December 9).

During the trial period, approximately one tonne of electrical items were collected and sent to a dedicated facility for sorting and recycling.

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Because of this success and the uptake in Raunds, from Monday (December 9) all residents across East Northamptonshire will be able to place small and handheld electrical items out for recycling alongside their regular collection on a weekly basis.

Any items for collection should be left in a carrier bag next to recycling or refuse bins on normal collection days and small electrical items such as the following will be collected:

- Hairdryers, hair straighteners, shavers, electric toothbrushes and kettles

- Kitchen appliances such as toasters, kettles, hand blenders

- DVD/CD Players, radios, MP3 players and remote controls

- Clocks, watches, calculators and torches

- Laptops

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- Small electrical DIY tools such as drills and electric screwdrivers

- Toys (for example, remote control car or drone)

- Battery chargers

- Christmas lights

Items should still have the cables attached and all batteries removed.

Charlotte Tompkins, waste manager at East Northamptonshire Council said: “With Christmas just around the corner, now is the perfect time to have a delve through your cupboards and dig out all those unwanted electrical items, including those broken toys and tangled up Christmas lights.

“Last year, our recycling facility received over two tonnes of Christmas lights which sadly couldn’t be recycled and had to be sent to landfill.

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"We hope that the introduction of the WEEE scheme in East Northamptonshire will prevent the same scenario this year.

“We are always aiming to cut down the amount of waste that ends up in landfill and as such are delighted that the pilot scheme was such a success and we are able to roll WEEE collections out across the district.”

Any small electrical items left out for collection will be placed in a specially designed cage attached to the waste trucks but due to the cage size only small and handheld items, such as the above list, can be accepted.

Based on the popularity of the scheme during the trial, the cage may become full and the collection crew might have to leave items, but residents are encouraged to place any items behind out for collection the following week.

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Alternatively, ENC offer a household bulky waste collection service whereby up to seven items, including larger electrical and electronic equipment, such as fridges and washing machines, can be collected for £29.50 at a time that is convenient for residents in East Northamptonshire.