Tis’ the season for decluttering, and with many of us using January to get on top of our personal clutter and cleaning goals, it also means there is plenty of waste to dispose of including tricky electronics that you may not know how to get rid of.
When testing out new decluttering methods, you shouldn’t be afraid to tackle those old electronics too – such as finally saying goodbye to your old George Foreman. You can’t just put these electronics in the bin, electrical items can contain hazardous materials which can damage the environment when dumped at a landfill.
Working out what to do with items after decluttering is the key to keeping a house clutter-free as they need to be removed from your house ASAP. So how can you get rid of Christmas lights, and other electrical items properly?
1. Use Currys Cash for Trash scheme
Currys Cash for Trash scheme will pay you for your old electronics, all you need to do is take your old product in-store. It doesn’t matter if your electrical device is not from Currys or if it works – it just needs to be any electrical product powered by battery or mains supply via a plug.
‘Customers can come in-store with old, unwanted tech and not only will we recycle it for free, but we’ll also give them a discount voucher of at least £5 to redeem against any in-store or online purchase,’ says Moira Thomas, Director of Sustainability at Currys.
‘This way customers can start the year with clutter-free homes, money off their next tech purchase, knowing their unwanted electrical items won’t end up in landfill.’
2. Take your electricals to the charity shop
‘If your electrical items remain in good working condition then it’s worth donating or selling them for secondhand use. Many charity stores accept working electrical items and some charities, like The British Heart Foundation, will even collect electrical items if they are too large to drop off at a store,’ says Ryan Kaila, category manager for waste and recycling at Kingfisher Direct.
Charity shops are often interested in a variety of electronics such as game consoles, lamps, TVs, radios and toys. It’s an easy way to give back and do your good deed for the day, whilst clearing clutter. However, it is worth checking with your local charity shop to check your electronics are in good enough condition.
3. Use AO for large items
‘For big items, such as white goods and TVs, AO offers a collect and recycle service that can be booked alongside the delivery of a new appliance, but also as a standalone service – taking away all the hassle of a trip to the tip,’ says Libby Shorthouse, lifestyle and money saving expert at AO.com.
To use the service, you don’t have to buy products from AO and old electricals are taken to the company’s recycling centre in Telford to be disposed of. It does cost £30 for removal, however does make shifting cookers, fridges, washers and dryers far easier if you’re unable to transport it yourself to the recycling centre.
4. Go to a recycling centre
‘If your electrical items are no longer in working condition then it’s best to take them to a recycling collection point. There are over 26,000 recycling collection points in the UK, some of which can be found at supermarkets or local stores. To identify your closest recycling collection point you can look online on the Recycle Your Electronics website,’ says Ryan.
You can directly take your items to your local recycling centre, or if you have smaller items such as a hairdryer you put small electrical items in an untied carrier bag and put it in your black recycling box to be picked up as normal.
5. Don’t forget about small electricals
Research from Virgin Media O2 found 24% of Brits thought putting old mobile phones in the bin, local tip or skip is ‘responsibly’ disposing of it. However, O2 Recycle is encouraging us to hand in our old phones for cash.
It doesn’t matter who your network provider is and the scheme extends to old tablets, smartwatches, earbuds, consoles or MacBooks. All you have to do is enter details about your electronic device on the O2 Recycle website which will inform you how much it is worth. After posting your device, O2 will pay within three to five working days after receiving it.
The scheme pays more for items in good condition, however, it will still accept and offer payment for broken or faulty devices.
Disposing of clutter is just as important as the decluttering process, and by following this advice you can part with old electricals in the safest way.
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