A simple New Year’s resolution everyone should keep

Posted 22/12/2023

If there is one simple but effective New Year resolution that everyone could make this month to reduce our carbon footprint then it is to sort out the 30 unused electrical items gathering dust in the average home and to recycle them rather than throw them away.

“These items contain valuable raw materials, which can all be reused and help the planet,” said Midlands green expert Ron Fox.

He was commenting on a survey of 2,000 people by the not-for-profit group Material Focus which found that as well as the unused items in houses such as mobile phones, remote controls and vapes, nearly half a billion small electrical goods were thrown away last year.

Based on the responses the research calculates that 471 million “Fast Tech” items were disposed of in the UK last year. They included:

60 million disposable vapes.
30 million LED, solar and decorative lights.
26 million cables.
10 million USB sticks.
7 million cordless headphones.
5 million mini fans.

“The problem is that the average cost of these items is £4 which encourages people to just throw them in the bin,” said Ron, of Noreus Ltd which is based at Keele University’s Science and Innovation Park.

“But many people do not realise these all contain valuable raw materials, such as copper wires and lithium batteries, which can be recovered by recycling process and made into new items,” he added.

It is not just a British problem, but a worldwide one. According to findings by the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, every year people throw away 9 billion kilogrammes of cables, toys, vapes, novelty clothes and similar devices which they often don’t recognise as e-waste.

However, research also showed that the amount of electrical waste has decreased since 2017. That’s partly because many electrical items are lighter now, but also because recycling rates have risen with 60 per cent of people now saying they recycle old electrical items.

“The point is that anything with a plug, battery or cable can now be recycled near your home,” said Ron.” He offers the following advice.

Used electricals can be sold, donated, repaired or recycled.
They can be taken to recycling centres, libraries and other centres to be collected with some councils prepared to collect them from your door.
Retailers are also required to help people dispose of old electrical items, even if they didn’t sell them to you in the first place.
The Recycle Your Electricals website https://www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk has a guide to local recycling facilities.

For more advice on green energy and recycling contact Ron Fox on 01782 756995. In the mean time have a happy and peaceful New Year.

Caption: Recycle rather than throw away these items.