New Year appeal: don’t throw out your old electrical equipment!

Spokesman, Myles Pilkington, explains: “Many people will have received new electrical and electronic devices as Christmas gifts. Whether it’s a LCD or plasma TV, iPad, laptop, mobile phone, games console, coffee machine, hair straightener, or microwave, all of these items contain valuable materials that can be recycled. 

“WEEE - or electronic waste - is the world’s fastest growing waste stream and at this time of year there is inevitably an increase in the volume of WEEE arising, as consumers discard their unwanted items. Unwanted or redundant equipment should never be thrown out with household waste. If it is still in working order, it should be sold or sent for reuse wherever possible. This prolongs the life of that particular piece of equipment until it finally breaks down and can be recycled. E-waste that is not in working order should be taken to a local recycling centre for responsible recycling by professional companies such as ours.”

Myles continues: “Once recycled, these materials can be used by manufacturers in the production of new products rather than using virgin materials. We are rapidly running out of the precious metals we need to make these products worldwide, so we need to do everything we can to preserve them.

“It is very important that in the case of unwanted computers and other data bearing devices such as BlackBerrys and mobile phones, that data should be removed from these devices before selling them on or donating to charities. Whilst reusing computers and computer equipment benefits communities, if your personal data should fall into the wrong hands you could be creating problems for yourself further down the line.”