Is your toaster toast? Go gadget-crazy during Recycle Week 2012!

Got any burned out sandwich toasters, broken kettles or other unwanted electrical items lying about gathering dust at home?

Then bring them along to special collection points being set up by Recycle for Hampshire to mark National Recycle Week 2012 (18 - 24 June).

Research shows that most people have all kinds of unwanted electrical items such as mobile phones, DVD players or hairdryers stored in drawers, cupboards or sheds - usually because they don’t know what else to do with them once they are replaced. New regulations mean that electrical items are restricted from landfill as they contain hazardous material, but instead of disposing of them properly, these items are often left to accumulate at home.

To highlight how easy it is to recycle small electricals, local authorities across Hampshire are hosting special ‘bring day’ events at schools, workplaces, libraries and other locations during Recycle Week. Residents are being challenged to drop off unwanted or broken small electricals for free, in return for entering a competition  where they can win some great gadgets, courtesy of Project Integra partners WeeeCare.

All events will accept any small portable electrical or electronic items with a plug or batteries that can be easily carried by one person, apart from televisions or monitors.

Hampshire residents who want to do their bit and recycle their unwanted electricals all year round can use one of the 26 household waste recycling centres (HWRCs). Items that can be repaired may be donated to local charities, or sold at HWRCs for spares. Those items that are beyond repair are broken up into raw materials and recycled into new products.
Chair of the Project Integra waste partnership’s Strategic Board, Councillor Leslie Keeble, commented: “Most people actively recycle a lot of things like paper and metals, but don’t realise how easy it is to recycle electrical items too. A typical domestic iron contains enough steel to make 13 food cans, so by recycling your broken or unwanted item you are ensuring that valuable natural materials are conserved and not wasted, helping the environment too.

“We are inviting everyone to use this opportunity to have a clear-out of any small electricals they no longer need and to make use of the drop-off points around the county during Recycle Week. This will help boost Hampshire’s excellent record for diverting rubbish from landfill so remember - ‘don’t bin it, bring it!’”

Recycle Week 2012 takes place between 18-24 June. Visit our Recycle Week website to find a collection event near you, or to locate your nearest HWRC.

Contacts

For more information please contact:
Veolia Environmental Services:
Keely Gallagher
0203 567 2918 or 07887 942 754
[email protected]   
Or visit www.veoliaenvironmentalservices.co.uk. You can also follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VeoliaUK.