Residents in Rushcliffe are being reminded that they can place small electrical items on top of their blue bin.
Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC) is seeking to increase the number of items that can be reused and recycled. Since launching the service in October 2024, RBC has become one of the few local authorities in the county to offer kerbside collection for small electrical items.
Many of the items collected by the authority could otherwise end up being disposed of in the grey waste bin. This service, which collects Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), aims to recycle smaller appliances.
All items must be placed on top of the blue recycling bin and should never be placed inside the bin under any circumstances.
The list of accepted items is below:
- Kettles
- Toasters
- Irons
- Lamps (must have bulbs removed and lampshades where possible)
- Hairdryers
- Straighteners
- Hair clippers
- Shavers
- Electric toothbrushes
- Games consoles
- Digital clocks
- Digital watches
- Remote controls
- Torches
- Calculators
- Laptops and tablets
- Cameras and camera chargers
- Mobile phones
- Radios
The Council’s waste teams will collect the items at the same time or on the same day as the blue bin collection. These items will then be recycled at local contractors, where other blue bin waste is sorted.
Residents are advised to fully wipe and remove any data cards from laptops, tablets, cameras, or phones before placing them on the bin for recycling.
For larger electrical items, including microwaves, fridges, and freezers, residents are encouraged to either book a bulky waste collection or take them to one of Nottinghamshire’s 12 recycling centres, where they will be separated for recycling.
Items with built-in batteries do not need to have their batteries removed before recycling. However, removable batteries, such as AAA, AA, and 9V, should be placed in a separate bag and left on top of any coloured bin.
Cllr Rob Inglis, RBC’s Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environment and Safety, said:
“This is a brilliant recycling service, and we thank the thousands of Rushcliffe residents who have already played their part to ensure items can be recycled successfully. We collected nearly two tonnes of items in just the first two weeks of the collections!
“This service ensures that smaller electrical items, which often contain rare and valuable raw materials, are recycled responsibly.
“We want to continue making progress in ensuring even more items can be recycled while responsibly disposing of valuable raw materials found in smaller electricals. This supports our Environment priority as a Council and aligns with our Carbon Clever values.
“Please remember to place small items on top of the blue bin and never inside the bin.”
Further plans to potentially introduce kerbside glass collections and food waste at home will be confirmed soon. Changes will be made in due course in line with central government’s requirements under the new Environment Act.
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