Listen: UK throwing millions in the bin

A new set of studies estimates UK households are throwing away 155,000 tonnes of waste electricals and hoarding 527million small old electricals. This is contributing to one of the fastest growing waste streams in the nation and in the world, estimated to cost the UK economy over £370 million of lost valuable raw materials such as gold, copper, aluminium and steel.

The new research projects conducted by Material Focus – a not-for-profit organisation – revealed if these hoarded items had been reused or passed on, the average UK household could have made £620 from second hand re-sale value of small old electricals.

But it is not just the financial gain that we set to gain from recycling, we could also help reduce CO² emissions. If all our small old electricals that are being thrown away or hoarded were recycled, it could save 2.8 million tonnes of CO² emissions, the equivalent of taking 1.3 million cars off the road. Hoarded items include cables, speakers and laptops with the likes of kettles, electric toothbrushes and blenders also featuring. The average household hoarded these items for over two years.

* Whilst the UK is in lockdown due to Covid-19, Material Focus advises checking the opening times for local recycling facilities and following government social distancing advice

Aston spoke to Scott Butler, executive director at Material Focus to discuss the new recycling initiative set up by not-for-profit organisation Material Focus.

Photo by Paweł Czerwiński on Unsplash