Next week, June 21-27, is National Recycling Week. This event is run by ‘Recycle Now’ every year, and aims to encourage everyone to recycle items more often. According to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), we all accumulate an average of 3 new electrical items each year. This adds up to 173 million nationwide but sadly only 1 out of every 5 is recycled.
Many counties around the UK are launching campaigns to encourage local residents to recycle more small electronic items such as mobile phones.
During National Recycling Week, when residents in Devon take old mobile phones, hairdryers, electronic tools and other waste electronics and electrical equipment (WEEE) items to one of the recycling centres they will be given a reward token that can be used to benefit a local school. 20 local schools are participating in the scheme and those schools in each region with the most rewards will receive garden centre vouchers worth £500. The schools with the most rewards will then each be given garden centre vouchers worth £1,000.
Many other counties nationwide are offering similar incentives. Check out your local council to see where you can recycle your old mobile phones and other electronic items.