You can now take your electrical items, from toasters to old mobile phones, to be recycled at eight locations around Hull
If you see an eye-catching pink locker outside your local community centre, it might be your sign to recycle your old electrical items that are collecting dust within your home. The striking new addition to Mitchell Centre on Goodrich Close aims to spark Hull’s Recycling Revolution by giving locals a chance to drop off no-longer-wanted electricals which would otherwise remain hidden away or sent to landfill.
Seven other locations across Hull have been kitted with collection boxes as part of the pilot scheme which gives people the opportunity to recycle a multitude of electrical items, from microwaves to headphones. The community centres all fall in the East and West Central Wards of Hull, with more planned for further wards later on.
Electrical items will be collected by Refurbit, a registered charity giving IT equipment a second life through reuse, repair and responsible recycling. The pilot aims to reduce local e-waste, increase the reuse of items that are still in working order for later donation to those facing digital exclusion, and to keep valuable materials out of landfill.
All but one centre has been given a collection box, with the lockers positioned at the Mitchell Centre. Find the collection boxes at:
- The Vulcan Centre, Heron Street
- Hull Afro Caribbean Association, Park Street
- Maurice Rawling Community Centre, Bean Street
- Spring Bank Community Centre, West Parade, Spring Bank
- Lonsdale Community Centre, Lonsdale Street
- Alf Marshall Community Centre, Goodhart Road
- Eastmount Community Centre, Waveley Road
Any electrical items smaller than a microwave, such as laptops, tablets, phones, cables and small household electricals, can be given to reception staff who will deposit them into the secure recycling boxes or lockers. Refurbit will then take the items to its Hull hub for data-wiping, testing and preparation for reuse or recycling. The collection boxes and lockers will be closely monitored by Refurbit, and replaced as they fill up.
Items that are eligible for collection include mains-powered items such as laptops, sewing machines, hair dryers and toasters. The scheme also accepts battery-powered devices like earbuds, phones, shavers, remote controls and calculators. Many small kitchen appliances are accepted and even chargers, USB sticks, smoke alarms and car key fobs are eligible for recycling.
Alongside the collections, Refurbit will be hosting community engagement activities which include drop-in events offering technical support and advice on keeping electricals in use. Events will be popping up across the city showing how donated electricals can be reused.
Keep an eye out for the scheme’s posters, featuring HypnoCat, the Recycle Your Electricals pink, fluffy mascot, who is on a mission to hypnotise local residents into recycling their electricals.
Sam Carlisle, Refurbit’s founder, said: “If we want change, we have to build it ourselves. Hull has the chance to show the world how a city can recycle and reuse technology properly and prove that communities can lead the way.”
The pilot is funded by the Electricals Recycling Fund where Material Focus has allocated £750,000 to pilots across the UK. The fund’s aim is to significantly reduce e-waste and its environmental impact by making it easier for people to recycle their electricals. The pilots funded by Material Focus include kerbside collections and drop-off points in schools, and community centres.
On average there are at least 30 electricals hidden away in drawers in UK homes, a total of 880 million items across the UK. With a simple repair many could be donated or sold to people who could put them to good use. And yet many people bin electricals, rather than recycle or reuse them, leading to over 100,000 tonnes of electricals thrown away every year. Refurbit says the aim of these pilots is to overcome these issues by making it easier to repair, donate or recycle electricals.
Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus, said: “We are pleased to support Hull’s Recycling Revolution that addresses the pressing issue of e-waste. By investing in improved collection and drop-off services and exploring new recycling methods, we are taking a significant step towards creating a more sustainable future by making it easier for over 12 million more people to recycle their electricals.”
Cllr Shane McMurray, Hull City Councillor for Central Ward, said: “I’m really supportive of the scheme that easily and conveniently allows residents to get rid of and donate unused electrical devices that will then be reused, saving money and saving the environment at the same time. I’m delighted one of these stations is permanently accessible outside the Mitchell Centre in Central Ward.”
To find your nearest recycling point search recycle your electricals .
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