In a circular electricals economy products are designed to be repaired, reused, resold and recycled. And when they do reach the end of their useful life, critical materials like copper, lithium, gold and cobalt are recovered to power the next generation of devices rather than being lost as e-waste.
In a thriving circular ecosystem, electricals are designed to last. They are straightforward to dismantle and repair. Product labelling makes it easier to separate out component materials for reuse. And the availability of replacement parts makes it simpler to fix devices or refurbish them for resale.
Valuable metals like copper, lithium, gold and cobalt retain 100% of their useful properties – even after being recycled. Copper continues to conduct. Lithium continues to power. Gold continues to connect. Cobalt continues to stabilise systems. That’s what makes recycling so powerful.
In a circular electricals economy, fixing, donating, reselling and recycling is the norm. Approaches like leasing are more common, shifting the focus from selling products to providing services. It’s about product design but also a robust collection infrastructure and innovative business models.
The UK needs critical minerals to build the energy grids and medical technology of tomorrow. With supply chains, communities and the environment under pressure, mining for more isn’t the answer: we need to keep valuable materials like gold, lithium, copper and cobalt in circulation. Reuse and recycling is an essential part of this.
Electricals take significant amounts of materials and energy to manufacture and run – and rapid advances in smart tech and new features are driving up demand for new products. At the same time, more people are choosing second-hand electricals, driven by cost savings and sustainability. In 2024 a third of UK consumers said they planned to buy sustainable products. For businesses, this shift creates new commercial opportunities.
The circular electricals economy is a triple win – for people, the planet and the economy. It not only secures critical raw materials, but it fuels demand for innovation and new skills, creating new jobs in everything from design to refurb to urban waste mining. It reduces e-waste and dangerous battery fires. And it puts less stress on natural resources. We’re just getting started.
How Material Focus is supporting circular electricalsWe’re already seeing innovations in product design, sourcing and services that reduce e-waste, keep valuable materials in use and make businesses more competitive. Many solutions are a work in progress, but collectively we’re making progress towards a more circular electricals economy.
See how it’s already happening
Contact us today to talk about what we could do together to accelerate the transition to a circular electricals economy.
Our Locator is available as a widget (below) which can be adapted to sit within your website
Material Focus is an independent not-for-profit organisation on a mission to change the way we think about our unwanted electricals, helping us all see them as valuable resources rather than useless waste. We want to make it simpler for each and every one of us in the UK to recycle our old and unwanted electricals or send them to be refurbished and reused. We do this by working with local authorities, community organisations, producers, retailers, high-profile individuals and experts, and the public.
Recycle Your Electricals is a UK-wide campaign calling on households to stop throwing away or hoarding their old electricals – and start reusing and recycling them.
We motivate and make it easier for everyone to reuse or recycle all their unwanted electricals, saving precious resources from being lost forever. Our best-in-class online Recycling Locator helps people find their nearest electrical recycling point. We work at all levels from grassroots organisations to high profile media campaigns in collaboration with designers, artists, businesses and influencers. Find out more
Although we’ve only been up and running since early 2020, we’re already making a big difference.
To date, we have worked with over two thirds of all UK local authorities, and funded over 70 reuse and recycling projects, from the Orkneys to the Isles of Scilly.
Our mesmerising messenger, HypnoCat has appeared widely across the UK, helping to get more and more people to start recycling their electricals. And the issue is becoming more high profile. We’re seeing huge increases in stories reporting on the hidden potential of our old electricals, with thousands of media articles mentioning our work, both online, in the press and on TV and radio.
HypnoCat is our award-winning messenger, bringing pink fluffy charm and personality to the campaign.
He appears across the UK on billboards, bus sides, social media and on leaflets and magazines through people’s letterboxes – hypnotising the nation into recycling their electricals. Since 2021, he’s scooped more than a couple of prestigious communications awards.
Our funding comes from UK WEEE Regulations Compliance Fees. Electrical producers pay these fees if they don’t meet annual recycling targets set by the government. The fees are set higher than the average costs of collections to encourage collections to take place. We manage spending of the fees to support reuse and recycling of electricals in the UK. Learn more about our funding and governance.
