Council hopes to hit right buttons with recycling of electrical goods

A COUNCIL is urging people to recycle unwanted electrical goods after research showed East Riding households have at least three unwanted items lying around their properties.

Small electrical items, such as kettles and CD players, are gathering dust after being replaced by new ones at Christmas. Now, East Riding Council is urging people to do their bit for the environment by recycling them.

The council's 10 household waste and recycling sites take an increasing range of materials for recycling, including batteries, textiles, cardboard, large white goods such as fridges, and smaller electrical items.

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Councillor Symon Fraser, the council's portfolio holder for environmental issues, waste and recycling, said: "As a general guideline, if it has a plug, uses batteries or needs recharging, it can be recycled.

"Reusing and recycling has benefits all round. For example, a typical iron contains enough steel to make 13 food cans and a kettle can be reused in games consoles and hairdryers."

In Yorkshire alone, 100,000 tonnes of electrical items are sent to landfill every year, most of which could have been recycled.

Council officers are also taking to the streets in the latest drive to improve household recycling rates. Officers are knocking on doors in Bridlington, Brough and Hessle and will make their way across the rest East Riding over summer.

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Coun Fraser added: "This is to give our residents the chance to hear first hand about reducing waste and what can be recycled.

"The team is giving information about the blue and brown bins, the blue bin text service, and the nearest points for recycling things like glass.

"It is also the opportunity for our residents to ask their recycling questions, raise concerns and hear about our special offers, like those on compost bins and wormeries for food waste."

Both East Riding and Hull Councils, which have a joint waste management strategy, have set a target of recycling and composting at least 45 per cent of household waste this year.

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In Hull – which was the second worst performing authority in Yorkshire for recycling only two years ago – the rates are set to almost double after a relaunch of its kerbside waste collections three months ago.