The Government is set to make it easier for households to recycle electric cables, devices and appliances under new UK-wide schemes announced today (December 28).
Alarming statistics show that around 155,000 tonnes of small household electrical appliances, such as cables, toasters, kettles and power tools, are mistakenly thrown away each year. UK households are thought to be hoarding another 527 million unwanted electrical appliances containing valuable materials such as gold, silver and platinum.
The waste generated during the festive period demonstrates the scale of the problem: 500 tonnes of Christmas lights are thrown away in the UK each year.
To drive the transition to a circular economy, government proposals put forward today will change the way we all dispose of electrical equipment, both large and small, ensuring retailers can convert old products into new products.
The measure adds to the important measures that the Government has already taken this year to combat plastic pollution and clean our streets.
A series of measures are proposed within the joint executive consultation of the UK Government, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Government for introduction from 2026, including:
- Electrical waste collection across the UK directly from homes, saving the public from having to travel to distant electrical waste disposal points. The collections would be funded by electrical goods producers, not taxpayers, and would not necessarily require more containers.
- Large businesses implement collection points for electrical items in their stores, free of charge and without the need to purchase a replacement product.
- Retailers and online sellers take responsibility for collecting unwanted or broken large electrical appliances, such as refrigerators or cookers, by delivering a replacement.
The proposals will mean that consumers will be able to recycle their products during their weekly shop or even without leaving home.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will work closely with manufacturers, large retailers and small and medium-sized businesses throughout the consultation period to ensure the most efficient and affordable options become a reality.
Recycling Minister Robbie Moore said:
Every year, millions of household appliances across the UK end up in rubbish rather than being recycled or reused correctly. This is a pure waste of our natural resources and must stop.
We all have a drawer of old technology somewhere that we don't know what to do with and our proposals will ensure that these devices are easy to dispose of without the need to go to the local landfill. Our plans will also drive progress towards a more circular economy and create new jobs by simplifying all recycling.
The proposed changes also ensure that vape suppliers adequately fund the cost of their separate collection and treatment when items become waste.
Nearly five million vaporizers are currently thrown away every week, the equivalent of eight per second and almost four times more than last year. The industry estimates that the potential annual cost of collecting and recycling vapes that have been incorrectly discarded is ยฃ200 million.
These measures are based on the Prime Minister's proposals to restrict the sale of disposable vapes, which is part of a separate consultation to create the first smoke-free generation and crack down on youth vaping. These products are not only attractive to children but also incredibly harmful to the environment.
On the other hand, the consultation proposes extending the obligations to contribute to the collection of electrical waste and the financing of its recycling and preparation for reuse to online markets such as Amazon. This would ensure that major international suppliers also have to comply with the regulations, not just British companies.
A recent study into public attitudes and behavior found that around 86% of people in the UK think it is worth recycling and taking the time to do it correctly. It also showed that many are unaware of or have difficulties accessing electrical waste recycling points.
Around three quarters of UK adults say they would recycle their electrical appliances at their local supermarket, electrical retailer or charity retailer if it were available to them. More than 77% of households would consider a retailer to be more environmentally responsible if they knew they offered an electrical recycling service.
Therefore, today the Government launched a 10-week consultation on proposed improvements to the industry-funded scheme for electrical waste, as committed to in the Government's Environmental Improvement Plan earlier this year.
Increasing the collection and recycling of electrical waste has the potential to drive greater investment in the UK's treatment and reuse sector, helping to create British jobs and deliver on the Prime Minister's priority of growing the economy.
Rob Sant, general manager of electrical recycling operations at AO.com, said:
We are the only electrical retailer in the UK with its own refrigerator recycling plant and have invested over ยฃ20 million in our mission to make new appliances from old ones through our facilities. We recycle a fifth of all refrigerators thrown away each year and, since opening in 2017, we have recycled or reused more than seven million large appliances.
Being both a retailer and a recycler gives us a unique perspective to contribute to this consultation on the practicalities for our industry, driving higher standards and making it easier for customers to recycle more electrical waste.
Jacob Hayler, CEO of the Environmental Services Association, said:
Too many electronic devices currently end up in the trash, so making it simpler and more convenient for households to recycle electrical waste at home will undoubtedly play a key role in helping our sector put valuable and rare ones back into circulation. materials contained in these devices. economy.
On behalf of those who operate recycling centers and kerbside collection services, we welcome the opportunity to contribute through consultation and help create an effective system that meets its intended outcomes and works, not only for households, but also for obligated producers and retailers.
Waste e-waste, and vaporizers in particular, increasingly contain powerful batteries and are now responsible for hundreds of serious fires each year when not recycled responsibly, so we hope that offering convenient and widespread home collection services for These devices also help reverse the growing trend of battery fires. the sector.
The proposed reforms for waste electrical equipment build on the Government's wider efforts to increase recycling and reduce waste. New Restrictions on single-use expanded and extruded polystyrene plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks, and food and beverage containers. It went into effect on October 1 to help reduce plastic pollution and keep streets clean.
The Government is also moving forward in the implementation of our deposit return system for beverage containers and its expanded packaging producer responsibility plan to boost recycling and clamp down on plastic pollution and waste.
A ban on microbeads in rinse-off personal care products has already been introduced, along with restrictions on the supply of single-use plastic items such as straws, drink stirrers and cotton swabs and the leading plastic packaging tax. last year's world cup. Meanwhile, the charge for single-use plastic bags has managed to reduce sales by more than 97% in the main supermarkets.
We are taking steps to conserve our finite resources, establish a more circular economy, and protect the environment and human health from the negative impacts of waste.
