Free weekly small electrical item recycling service launches in phases from February 27

Date published: 17th February 2023

North Norfolk District Council, Breckland, Kings Lynn and West Norfolk District Council are delighted to be launching another new free weekly kerbside collection service to residents in partnership with Serco.

A small electrical and electronic recycling collection will be gradually introduced over a four-month period, from 27 February.

Residents will receive a hanger on their bin the week before collections are due to start in their area. This will include information about what items can be collected and when and how to put them out for collection.

Due to the sizes of the cages on the vehicles, we will only be able to collect from properties after they have received their hanger, so please don’t try to put your items out before you have received a hanger on your bin.

The service will then be weekly along with your waste or recycling bin, so please don’t store up items. Instead, take a little and often approach to help us deliver this service successfully to all. If items are not collected due to lack of space on the vehicle, please take them back in and put them out the following week.

We would also like to remind residents to be data secure if they put out laptops, mobile phones or devices containing sensitive data and passwords. These items will need to be “factory reset” to clear all data from the devices before putting them out for collection.

Cllr Nigel Lloyd, portfolio holder for Environmental Services, Climate Change and Environment, NNDC, said:

“Recent studies have estimated that as many as 40 million unused electrical gadgets are languishing in UK homes. Many of these items contain valuable materials that can be refabricated into new products which in turn, will help to reduce the demand on increasingly scarce and expensive raw materials.  

“I am therefore really pleased that NNDC is able to further expand the scope of its kerbside waste collection services to residents with the introduction of small electrical appliance collections. 

“Small items such as broken kettles, hairdryers, old mobile phones, irons, toasters, clocks and many more will be collected with the green and black bins. Please look for more information on the bin hangers that will soon appear across the district.”

George Roach Serco, Norfolk Senior Contract Manager, said:

“Space on our vehicles is limited, so please help our crews by putting out a little every week rather than store up items for collection when the service rolls out in your area.”

 

Read the FAQs:

When will the small electrical item recycling collections start?

From Monday, 27 February, we will be gradually rolling out small electrical items collections as part of your rubbish and recycling collection. Our crews will place a hanger on your bin the week before collections start in your area to notify you collections are starting in your area.

How will I be able to recycle my small electrical items?

You will receive a hanger on your bin advising that small electrical collections will be starting in your area the week before collections commence. Once you receive this hanger, you will be able to put out your small electrical items on your normal waste and recycling collection day the following week. They will need to be placed in a loosely tied-up standard-size carrier bag on top of your bin and will be collected weekly with either your grey or green bin. We have limited space on our collection vehicles, so we kindly ask you to follow a ‘little and often’ approach. If items are not collected due to lack of space on the vehicle, please take them back in and put them out the following week.

How frequently will you be collecting small electrical items?

When you receive the hanger on your bin advising that small electrical collections will be starting in your area, you will be able to put your small electrical items out the following week on top of your grey or green bin. Collections will then be weekly with either your grey or green bin.

What size electrical items can I put out to be recycled?

We can accept items up to the size of a two-slice toaster. On collection day, they must be presented inside a loosely tied-up standard-size carrier bag on top of either your grey or green bin.

All batteries must be removed where possible before disposal with the exception of products such as laptops, mobile phones, electric toothbrushes and tablets with lithium batteries built into them.

What electrical items will you take?

We can take and recycle the following electrical items:

• Blenders
• Calculators
• Cameras
• Chargers
• Clippers
• Clocks
• Coffee grinders
• Coffee machines
• Curlers
• Drills
• Small DVD players
• Electrical cables
• Electric and battery-powered toys
• Electric scales
• Electric shavers
• Electric toothbrushes (leave battery in)
• Electric whisks
• Extension leads
• Fans
• Games consoles and controllers
• Grinders
• Hair dryers
• Hair straighteners
• Hand-held hoovers
• Hi-Fi equipment
• Impact drivers
• Irons
• Juicers
• Kettles
• Keyboards and mice
• Lamps (lightbulbs removed)
• Laptops (leave battery in)
• Light switches
• Mains sockets
• Mobile phones (leave battery in)
• Printers (without ink cartridges or toners)
• Radios
• Remote controls
• Routers
• Sanders
• Sandwich makers
• Set top boxes
• Soldering irons
• Tablets (leave battery in)
• Telephones
• Thermostats
• Toasters
• VHS players
• Watches

Please note this is not a complete list.

We will accept accompanying cables. Please remember to remove any non-lithium batteries and place these in a separate, loosely tied-up freezer bag.

We have limited space on our collection vehicles, so we kindly ask you to follow a ‘little and often’ approach. If items are not collected due to lack of space on the vehicle, please take them back in and put them out the following week.

What electrical items will you not take?

We cannot take the following:

• Anything bigger than a two-slice toaster
• Anything sharp i.e., an electric knife
• Cookers
• Desktop computers
• Large white goods
• Microwaves Ovens
• Televisions
• Vacuum cleaners
• Vapes and disposable vapes

 

What do I do with larger electrical items?

If you have electric items that are larger than a two-slice toaster, you can visit your local recycling centre: Find your local recycling centre or rubbish tip - Norfolk County Council

You can also book a bulky waste collection by calling 0330 1099 220 or emailing norfolkwaste@serco.com.

Please ensure that the small electronics left for collection adhere to our size guidelines.

What if the battery of my small electrical item cannot be removed?

For electrical items such as laptops, tablets, mobile phones and electric toothbrushes, we can collect them with the batteries still inside.

What if my small electrical item is still in working condition?

If your small electrical items are still working and could be used by someone else, please consider donating them to a charity shop as we really only want items that are at the end of their usable life.

What if my small electrical item is still in good condition and just needs a service?

Please consider donating these items to a reuse café or donate them as we really only want items that are at the end of their usable life.

Why is it important to recycle my electrical items and batteries?

If your electrical item is at the end of its life and there is no way to reuse it, the next best thing is to recycle the valuable plastics and metals that make up the product. With the declining supply of natural resources, it’s important that we all recycle these valuable materials.

How will the electrical items collected be recycled?

Once your items have reached the waste facility, they’ll be sorted based on their size and shape properties. Contaminant materials will be removed, which involves extra time and resources, and the remaining items will be sorted based on material – glass, cans, etc. Materials are then recycled and repurposed into a variety of different products. For example, aluminium and steel into new cans or car parts, glass into bottles or windows, and so on.

How many bags of small electrical items can I leave out?

There is limited space on the vehicles, so we would ask you to place your items out ‘little and often. This means we will only be able to take one small standard-size carrier bag of small electrical items at a time. If items are not collected due to lack of space on the vehicle, please take them back in and put them out the following week.

What if all my items won’t fit in a small bag?

Following the ‘little and often’ approach, please save items that do not fit in a single carrier bag for the next collection.

What if I have a sack collection?

Currently, this service is only available for properties with a wheelie bin, but we are working hard to find a solution to offer the service to all our residents. You can still recycle small electrical items at your local Reuse and Recycling Centre, or you can use our bulky waste collection service for larger items.

What if I live in a flat and have my waste and recycling collection in large bins?

We’re currently unable to provide a kerbside collection of small electrical items to properties with large, shared bins. You can recycle small electrical items at your local Reuse and Recycling Centre, or for larger items, you can use our bulky waste collection service.