The £1m Circular Electricals Fund supports ideas to keep electricals – and their materials – in use for longer – through innovation in product design, material recovery and business models. This year we funded 4 circular electricals projects to accelerate the UK’s transition to a more circular electricals economy.
E-waste is the world’s fastest-growing source of waste, with over 100,000 tonnes of electricals binned every year in the UK alone. Our electricals recycling funding has made it easier for over 12 million more people to reuse and recycle their electricals, and over 30 million more electricals were recycled last year than the year before. However, despite some brilliant innovation in the electricals sector, many electrical and electronic products and smart devices still aren’t designed to be easily reused or recycled. And we lack the systems to recover all the valuable materials inside them.
We looked for projects working towards practical, scalable solutions to enhance resource efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and encourage industry collaboration. Read about our 4 live projects.
There is no defined, quantified view of the UK’s urban mine yet. The British Geological Survey is mapping the critical minerals inside the motors and magnets in everyday UK electricals like vacuum cleaners to model what’s available, where it is, and how to get it back into the economy.
Find out more about BGS
Bristol Braille is making their Canute 360 more sustainable — a full-page digital Braille display designed to be modular, fixable by its users, and made with locally sourced materials and workforce. Circular design and social impact working together.
Find out more about Bristol Braille
Like organ donation for electronics, Reconome’s AI-powered system will identify whether a device is repairable or ready to be stripped for parts to give life to another. An opportunity to rapidly scale smart device refurbishment for both environmental and social impact.
Find out more about Reconome
UCL’s Big Repair Project is collaborating with users, Beko and industry trade body, AMDEA, to tackle two major repair barriers — it’s not commercially viable enough for businesses, and not cheap or convenient enough for buyers. They aim to design a solution that works for both.
Read about the Big Repair Project
The £1m Fund offers funding of up to £150,000 per project. If you’re working on sustainable electricals, circular product design, or technology that cuts waste and carbon, we want to hear from you.
Successful applicants have the opportunity to collaborate with electricals producers, retailers, local authorities, recyclers and waste management companies.
Compelling communications are key to early success. Our award-winning team is here to help you craft clear, consistent messaging that stands out and gets results.
We can provide access to industry data, research and trends.
For more detailed information, please download our applicant’s guide, applicant’s pack and FAQs.
