UK Government seeks to increase recycling of electrical goods

The proposals aim to make it easier for businesses and people to recycle and reuse old electrical goods.

The measures are expected to be introduced in 2026 and include UK-wide collections of waste electricals directly from households, large retailers having collection drop points in-store, and retailers and online sellers taking responsibility for collecting unwanted large electrical items.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is running a 10-week open consultation about said measures, entitled Electrical waste: reforming the producer responsibility system, which began on 28 December 2023.

The statistics show a need for reform, with an estimated 155,000t of smaller household electricals thrown in the wrong bins each year and a further 527 million unwanted electrical items kept at home.

The announcement comes aptly just after the festive period, where it is estimated that 500t of Christmas lights are discarded every year in the UK.