Making electrical recycling easier

Communities across the UK are now able to reuse and recycle small electricals thanks to an array of brilliant pilots funded by Material Focus.

Light skin tone woman wearing a peach hoody holding a tote bag full of electricals to recycle

What is the Electricals Recycling Fund? 

We want to make it easier for people to reuse and recycle their electricals.

In 2026 the Electricals Recycling Fund is supporting pilots to introduce on-street bring banks, community collection points and refurbishment of existing bring banks. This year £500,000 has been provided by the Distributor Takeback Scheme (DTS) operated by Valpak Ltd, with producer and retailer funding being combined to help boost reuse and recycling.

Over the years, the fund has supported over 70 pilots – from expanding kerbside collections into new neighbourhoods and adding more recycling collection points, to fresh approaches on reusing and recycling electricals and awareness-raising campaigns.

Funded pilots

Explore the electrical recycling and reuse pilot studies funded by Material Focus.

Meet our previous pilots

Our pilots have saved over 450 tonnes of waste electricals from landfill. Here are just a few who have made reuse and recycling easier for millions of people across the UK.

  • A large pink electicals collection bank in the foreground with the sea and blue sky in the background

    ILM Highland

    Since installing 18 bring banks in remote rural locations, ILM Highland have collected over 41 tonnes of waste electricals.

    Read the pilot study
  • two pale skinned women and two pale skinned men standing behind a banner saying

    Ashford Borough Council

    Over 400 people repaired or recycled old electricals at 6 of Ashford’s tech amnesty days, as part of their innovative collection pilot.

    Read the pilot study
  • two pale skinned women standing next to a large wheelie bin with the text

    North Tyneside Council

    Over the space of a year, North Tyneside recycled over 9 tonnes of waste electricals through their 8 bring banks placed in council buildings.

    Read the pilot study
  • six pale skinned people of different ages holding up old laptops for recycling

    Derry and Strabane

    Derry and Strabane District Council repaired over 120 small electricals and redistributed refurbished laptops to people in need, in partnership with repair and share Foyle.

    Read the pilot study
  • two older pale skinned men leaning over a table inspecting an electrical repair

    Hubbub Foundation UK

    Hubbub trialled their #RehomeYourElectricals pilot at two Community Fridge locations where residents could donate their unwanted electricals to be passed on to someone in the local community.

    Read the pilot study
  • smiling pale skinned young man standing next to a bright pink electrical recyling bin with the lid open as he puts an old electric drill in there

    London Borough of Hillingdon

    Hillingdon set up new collection points in libraries and community centres for small waste electrical items and saved over 12 tonnes of e-waste from landfill.

    Read the pilot study
  • a large vertical banner in en empty library which says

    Newcastle City Council

    Newcastle combined doorstep collections with pop-up recycling centres and have recycled over 7000 items since launching in January 2024.

    Read the pilot study
  • seven large pink electrical bring-banks on the back of a flat bed lorry

    London Borough of Lewisham

    Lewisham unveiled 17 new small electrical recycling banks across the borough in March 2024, ready for local residents to drop off their old and unwanted electrical items.

    Read the pilot study