The county council wants to reduce the number of small electrical items being thrown in the bin or hidden away at homes in North Yorkshire.
People are being reminded that Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs), which are operated by Yorwaste on behalf of the county council, accept items such as kettles, hairdryers, toasters and electric toothbrushes free of charge.
Anything with a plug, battery or cable can also be recycled, as well as battery powered items including calculators, torches and toys.
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County Councillor Derek Bastiman, Executive Member for Waste Management, said:
“It’s astonishing to think that across the UK, households are hiding 527 million unwanted electricals and that if all these old electrical items were recycled, it would cut as much CO2 as taking 1.3 million cars off the road!
“Recovered plastic and metals like gold, copper, steel and aluminium can be used to make new products – from bicycles and children’s play areas to life-saving equipment.
“It’s a very easy way for us all to make a difference by reducing the demand for new raw materials.”
Household Waste Recycling Centres have new pink boxes to collect very small items such as electric toothbrushes, torches and toys.
There’s also new, bright signage surrounding the collection cages and fencing. You can find your nearest North Yorkshire Household Waste Recycling Centre.
Laptops, tablets and smartphones that still work can be donated to the Reboot scheme.