The “Recycle Your Electricals” project has seen recycling rates nearly double since it started a year ago. 9.5 tonnes of small electricals have been collected in total, including 12,000 vapes.
The scheme is part of 40 nationwide initiatives started by Material Focus. The organisation provided the council with £14,000 in funding to introduce 65 small electrical recycling points and 29 vape recycling tubes across the borough.
Councillor Carl Johnson, deputy mayor of North Tyneside, said: “This scheme was introduced as part of our commitment to tackling climate change and reducing electrical waste. The response from residents has been fantastic, and the results have exceeded our expectations.
“The e-waste bins and vape tubes are being well used, helping to cut harmful waste and support a more sustainable future. It makes sense to continue the scheme as part of our everyday work.”
The scheme accepts anything with a plug, battery or cable which will be collected, recycled and turned into something new. This includes items such as toasters, kettles, hairdryers and irons. The collection points are located throughout the North Tyneside borough at libraries, leisure centres, schools and community centres.
The council has reminded residents to remove any batteries to be recycled separately.
Residents can find their nearest recycling point using the online map on the council’s website.
The average UK household tends to have 30 unused electricals – meaning there are 880 million unused items of WEEE across the country.
At the same time, 39% of people bin electricals when they could be recycled – leading to 100,000 tonnes of preventable waste every year.
Want to learn more about e-waste? Come to the Letsrecycle.com WEEE Conference in London on 12 March 2025. Find out more and buy tickets here.
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