Drive to recycle more electrical goods

On your next visit to one of Devon's recycling centres you may be asked whether any electrical goods you have brought to the site are still usable.

It’s all part of a new scheme to ensure that items that could be refurbished don’t go to waste.

Staff at SUEZ, who operate Devon's Household Waste Recycling Centres, will be looking at items such as TVs, monitors, audio equipment, guitar amps, vacuum cleaners, speakers, lamps and record players that are still working and are in good condition.

Once separated, these items are then taken to a newly created electrical testing hub.

From there, a specially trained member of staff will sift through the items and if they can be used again, they will be cleaned, safety and function tested before being priced for resale.  

The range of items collected and reused is growing as the hub becomes more established.

Games consoles are the latest addition to the list and other items will be continually added to try and increase the number of reused electrical items across Devon.

Since last September around 720 items have been saved from going to waste in this way and are now being used once again by Devon residents.

Reuse areas and shops have been a popular feature at Household Waste Recycling Centres for over 20 years, becoming more and more popular as the years go on.

In 2022/2023 a record 1,246 tons were sold for reuse through the reuse shops, equivalent in weight to around 85 double decker buses.

Offering reused small electricals, from gadgets to lamps to TVs, not only encourages sustainable consumption habits and reduces waste but also enhances affordability of these items.